


Hold on to that feline

by Bradypus_pygmaeus



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I honestly have no idea where this is going, Identity Reveal, Insecurity, Inspired by Music, Light Angst, Marichat, Romance, Valentine's Day, adrienette - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-03-23 20:38:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 23,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13795875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bradypus_pygmaeus/pseuds/Bradypus_pygmaeus
Summary: Soooo, this is my first fic ever, please don't expect a masterpiece :PAlso, I've never been particularly good at writing a lot, that's why I set myself the goal of writing at least 1000 words per chapter.English is not my first language, so feel free to point out my mistakes so I can fix them ;)The title of this work is a (pun)line from "don't stop believing" by Journey





	1. There's more to me

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, this is my first fic ever, please don't expect a masterpiece :P  
> Also, I've never been particularly good at writing a lot, that's why I set myself the goal of writing at least 1000 words per chapter.  
> English is not my first language, so feel free to point out my mistakes so I can fix them ;)
> 
> The title of this work is a (pun)line from "don't stop believing" by Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is going to have some chapters, I think around 15-20 (?) and every one of them will be inspired by one song. I do not have anything mapped or planned out for the story to go a certain way. I just listen to music and if I find a song that I think is fitting for the next chapter, I put it on repeat and let the music inspire me as I write.
> 
> *edit*  
> After posting the third chapter, I decided to keep Marinette's part aligned on the right and Adrien's part aligned on the left, so I changed it in this chapter as well.
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song "closer” by the Corrs

It was Thursday and Marinette was late to school, but that was nothing she wasn't used to already. What she wasn’t used to was the fact that Adrien wasn’t there. Slightly surprised, she sat down at her desk; just before the teacher walked in. She looked over to Alya who grinned back at her.

"Now what did you do last night?" Her best friend asked, nosy as she always was.

"Nothing, I just couldn't sleep." Marinette responded. There was no way she was going to tell Alya about her being ladybug. Or about the battle she and Chat Noir had fought the night before. She probably already knew everything about the latest akuma attack. Alya had been eager to find out who the two superheroes were in their civilian life and she posted EVERYhint, proof, assumption and thought about it on the ladyblog. And Alya was EXTREMELY determined. Marinette knew that if anyone found out her secret identity on their own, it was going to be Alya.

She yawned and looked to the board. The teacher had already started her lesson about history and Marinette tried to focus and take notes. She didn’t really like history. Well, she kind of did, but the lesson was about the French revolution. A topic that seemed to be repeated every single year; each time a little more information and material to study.

All of a sudden, the door swung open and Adrien walked in. Usually he was on time and flawless, but today he looked as tired as Marinette felt. He quickly apologized to the teacher and sat down. Marinette watched him closely and she noticed he looked worried. He was sitting right in front of her and she observed that he was scribbling in his notebook rather than taking notes.

 _What is going on in his head?_ She wondered. She would love to know everything about him. She already knew his entire schedule and knew when he had to be where - she even had a drop down poster of it in her room right under her loft bed - yet other than that she knew next to nothing about him. But he always was nice and polite and helping everyone who needed help. He had a heart of gold and he wasn't hiding it.

Marinette had loved Adrien since the day he gave her his umbrella. But he didn’t even seem to notice her in school. Alya did her best trying to ship them, but it didn’t really work. Mostly, because Marinette was so timid and shy around Adrien. She always mixed up words and babbled and she was so clumsy. More than once, she ran into people and stumbled down the stairs or fell off her chair.  _If only I could tell him I’m Ladybug, maybe he will see me then._ She thought. But she knew it wasn’t possible. Her superhero identity had to stay a secret.

"Hey, the lesson is over. Wait - have you been drawing all over your page? Didn't you pay attention?" Alya asked. “She gave us a ton of homework and we need our notes for it.”

Marinette blushed. She hadn't noticed the time passing by as she was thinking. Had she really been pondering about Adrien that long? It had felt like not more than five minutes. She looked down at her page. It was full of hearts and flowers and words. No, not words. It was only one word she had repeated many times: Adrien. She grabbed it and quickly stuffed it in her bag. She hoped that Alya hadn't noticed what she had drawn but she was looking at her with a knowing smile. _This is so embarrassing!_

“It’s alright girl, I won’t tell him.” Alya said. “This time.” She winked at her.

Marinette tried to focus more on the remaining lessons until the bell rang and school was over. Here and there, she talked to Alya, but she wasn’t in a particularly good mood. Alya asked her if she wanted to go grab lunch and then talk about the fight between Ladybug, Chat Noir and Hawkmoth last night because she had some great material already posted on her blog. Since she was exhausted, Marinette declined and went home.

After eating lunch with her parents, she went upstairs into her room. She tossed her bag into the corner and dropped onto her bed.  _A little nap would be great,_ she thought. It didn’t take long and she drifted off. She dreamed about Adrien once more. She almost always did. He dominated her thoughts, her dreams, her wishes, her feelings and her desires. But he still didn’t notice her. _If only he did._

As soon as the thought of Adrien not returning her feelings sneaked in her consciousness, Marinette woke up and looked at the clock. It was only 3 p.m., so she still had enough time to make her homework and maybe work on her designs a little. She had to look up a lot on the internet for her history homework. _I wish I had paid attention!_ She sighed. When she finished it, she still had to do French and chemistry. It didn’t take her as long but she was relieved when she finally closed her books and exhaled slowly.

Marinette looked outside and noticed that the sun was starting to set. It was the first week of February, so the sun was setting quite early. Nonetheless, the weather was gorgeous; there was not a single cloud in the sky that seemed to go up in flames more and more. _Soon it will be dark_ , she thought. _Maybe I could sneak out and see what HE is doing._ A quick glance over to Adrien’s timetable confirmed that he had nothing official to do. _I’m sure he’s at home._

“Tikki, let’s go outside.” She said.

“Do you want to see Adrien?” Tikki asked, giggling.

“I-I... Yes...” She said, blushing. Tikki had caught Marinette red-handed. She shook off the slight shame she felt and said: “Tikki, spots on!” A red flash filled the room and Ladybug climbed out of the skylight, heading towards Adrien’s house.

She had been here many times before. Not only because of akumas, but at times she just wanted to see him. Usually, she left right away without even getting close to the mansion because she was too shy, but this time she wanted more. She jumped onto the roof and went to where she knew his room was. One window was open and she decided to jump in.

Adrien was nowhere to be seen, so she took the time to walk around his room, looking at all the stuff he had. His room was enormous; he had his own TV, sofa, arcade games and basketball basket. He even had a rock-climbing wall. She was stunned and an amazed “WOW!” escaped her.

“L-Ladybug?”

She turned around in shock as she heard his voice. He seemed to have come out of his bathroom. _Oh no, I shouldn’t have entered the room without him knowing._ She felt ashamed and looked down at her feed to hide her face red with embarrassment.


	2. Just a little nervous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2, YAY!  
> I tried to write this one on a duet kind of way, so Adrien is aligned on the left and Marinette is aligned on the right.  
> I hope you enjoy it!
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “an awkward duet” by dodie and Jon Cozart

Adrien had just stepped out of the shower when a sudden sound startled him. He chose to investigate what it had derived from and opened the door to his room. “L-Ladybug?” He was nervous. He couldn’t believe he was right in front of HER.  _The love of my life is standing IN MY ROOM! OMG!!_ He tried to say something but his voice just didn’t comply. He was so flustered by her sheer presence. His face turned bright red.

 “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have entered.” She said. She noticed he wasn’t breathing. “A-are you o-okay?” She asked. Damn, she didn’t want to sound like that. She wanted to at least seem confident, but even as Ladybug she was too shy to talk to him in a normal way. Ladybug was so strong; she had saved so many people fighting akumas with Chat Noir. But here and now, she was only Marinette, dressed up as ladybug. She lost all of Ladybug’s confidence around Adrien. He looked so good and he was so close to her.

“Y-yes. I-... I didn’t expect you to...” He cleared his throat. His voice trembled and this was not the impression he wanted to make. As Chat Noir, he always flirted with her and even though she never seemed to return the feelings he had for her, he never gave up. Chat Noir was ruthless when it came to joking, punning and flirting. But Adrien was not. Especially not with ladybug that close to him. THAT close. She was standing within arm’s reach. Nervously, he scratched his neck with his hand.

 _Wow, he is cute. HELLA CUTE!_  She noticed him scratching his neck and smiling sheepishly. “Well, I... I just... I wanted to see you - err I mean I wanted to see if you are alright. That akuma yesterday threatened your father, so I was a little worried. I will leave you alone, then.” She said, turning around so he would not see her blushing under her mask. What exactly was she doing there? She just wanted to see him. Although the akuma was a valid excuse. She had hoped it would be easier with her mask on. But she was still a stuttering mess around him. She walked back to the open window and jumped outside onto the roof.

“No!” He was shocked by his own voice screaming. “Please... Please don’t leave.” He added, whispering. His face turned an even deeper red. Had he really just begged Ladybug to not leave him? He felt lonely most of the time and he really didn’t want to feel that way today.

She turned around at the sudden sound of him shouting. She almost couldn’t hear what he said next, as she was outside already. But she thought he had asked her to stay. Marinette didn’t know what to do. She was frozen solid. She wasn’t even able to think right. She just stared at him. She had never noticed just how sad Adrien really was. But now, she did. He stood there, shaking.  _Wait - he is shaking?_  She went back through the window into his room. She didn’t want to leave him alone.

He saw her outside, not moving even a little bit. She seemed shocked; she seemed to be thinking about what to do. When she finally came back in, he sighed with relief. His lady went straight up to him, the heroine and capturer of his heart.  _She is so beautiful with her dark hair and blue eyes and her sweet little nose and her cute spotted ladybug suit and oh I love her soooo much. Shit, how long have I been staring at her?_ He decided he should say something. “Errm... I... uhm...” GREAT. Now he was stuttering again.

He suddenly seemed to feel uncomfortable. “D-don’t worry” _Why do I have to stammer every time?_ She took a deep breath and managed to say a full sentence without skipping or swapping words. “I’ll stay here for a little while. What do you want to do?”

“M-maybe we could... We could just talk?” He said, blushing again. He wanted company; he wanted a friend to talk to.  _But how am I supposed to do that if I am not even able to talk to her in complete sentences?_ He led her to his couch and sat down next to her, but with some space between them.

For a while, they just sat there in silence. She felt his presence and she was excited.  _I’m actually sitting next to ADRIEN AGRESTE, in HIS ROOM!!!_  She didn’t know if she would be able to hold a conversation with him, constantly stammering.  _Why is this so difficult? I am Ladybug. The one and only. Get your shit together and don’t act like the love-struck teen you are!_  She scolded herself. “Soooooo... What do you want to talk about?”

 _Shit. I haven’t thought this through_. He rubbed his neck again, clearing his throat. “Well, uh, let’s talk about...” He frantically searched his head for a topic to talk about. There was only one thing he could think about and it was her. She was so close to him. “What is it like to be the number one hero of Paris?” He finally managed to ask.

“Oh, it’s really tough sometimes. But I’m not the number one hero, there’s still Chat Noir.” She blushed. _Of all the topics he could have chosen, he had to choose this one. BRILLIANT._

“Oh, yeah, Chat Noir. Do you like him?” Adrien smirked as he saw Ladybug blush. Maybe his lady did have feelings for him but didn’t want to admit it to Chat Noir.

“I kind of like him, but he is so annoying sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, he’s my partner and I trust him with my life. But I wish he would be different sometimes.” She said, and then she added, whispering “More like you.” She hoped he hadn’t heard the last three words, but his reaction was clear.

He was bright red and looked at her, smiling a little too much. Had ladybug really just said she liked him? He was in heaven and he never wanted to leave again.

She cleared her throat. She didn’t want to talk about herself longer than she had to. “What is it like to be Adrien Agreste, the model and womanizer?”

“Well, regarding women...” He didn’t know how to say this so he stopped a moment to think about it. “Most of them just want to have a slice of that model they saw in their magazines. Besides, I only want one and she doesn’t return my feelings. And being a model is hard. My father never seems to be pleased at anything I do. He barely even talks to me. I’m alone most of the time. The only time I get to see people I like is at school.”

The honesty and sadness in his voice startled her. “I will always be there for you when you feel lonely.” She said. “But you do have friends, right? What about your best friend, Nino?” The words were out of her mouth before she thought about it. Damn.  _DAMN!!!_  She hoped he didn’t question why she knew about Nino. She could just have given away her secret identity. “He was the one trying to throw a birthday party for you last year, right? The one that... got akumatized... that day...”  _Wow,_  she thought,  _I actually managed to make it worse._

“Yeah, I think Hawkmoth called him ‘Bubbler’. That was the first time in my life someone wanted to organize a birthday party for me.” He did in fact remember everything about that day. Nino asking Adrien’s father for his permission. His father, being the way he always was, denying Adrien everything fun. Ladybug and him trapped in one of the bubbles and finally winning the battle.

She suddenly felt sorry for him and wanted to hug Adrien. Ladybug’s bravery took over, so she did.  _It feels so good being that close to him, touching him._ Then, she pulled out of the hug and looked him in the eyes. He looked a lot less sad now.

The hug was marvelous. He could have stayed like that forever. Adrien smelled her hair, felt her skin and it lightened up his mood dramatically. When she retreated, he feared Ladybug would leave him, but she looked into his eyes. And he looked into hers. The world stopped as he got lost in her beautiful eyes. She was so close and he was overwhelmed by his lady’s stunning beauty. Adrien didn’t know how long they had been gazing into each other’s eyes. But it felt as long as an eternity and as short as a blink of an eye at the same time. He leaned in for a kiss, but stopped himself. He didn’t want to ruin the moment. “Your eyes are beautiful” He said.

She panicked as he came closer;  _is he really going to kiss me?_  She loved him, but she was not ready for this.  _What should I do now?_  When he complimented on her eyes, she relaxed slightly but it didn’t salvage the situation. She was so not ready for this. “I have to go now, Adrien. It was nice talking to you.” She got up and walked towards the window.

 _Yup, I messed up._  She wanted to leave and he knew he shouldn’t stop her this time. He followed her and watched as Ladybug stood at the window. “Thank you... For everything”

She turned around and smiled at him.“It was nice talking to you and I... I think you are a nice person.” Marinette winked and hugged him again. Then she turned around, climbed out of the window, threw her yo-yo into the air and disappeared into the night.

“Goodbye, my lady” Adrien said, after she was out of sight. He sighed, looking up at the stars, smiling happily.


	3. Wide awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third Chapter! This is going to be all Adrien's point of view. Hope you like it! :P  
> I think I will keep the formatting like the last chapter, Adrien on the left and Marinette on the right so it will be easier to read without too much confusion.
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song "this time” by Vanessa Carlton

Adrien didn’t know how long he had been staring out of the window. He had been thinking about the evening he spent with Ladybug right beside him. Okay, it wasn’t the full evening, only about one hour, but it had felt like eternity. His heart was still beating with excitement. Ladybug had told him she kind of liked Chat Noir and had embraced him. Once more, he felt like he was on cloud nine. Well, maybe not cloud nine, as they had only hugged, but he was on cloud 7 at least. He recalled the endless beauty of her deep blue eyes and the urge to kiss her.

Suddenly, he remembered the look on her face when he had leaned in for the kiss. The panic in her eyes had been obvious and he knew he had made a mistake. She would never let him that close again. This one little thought began to grow and grow and turned all the happiness and joy he had inside his heart into worry and doubt. What if she never wanted to see him again? She clearly had noticed what he had been up to and she got up so quickly seeming to be eager to get away from him as fast as possible. Why did he have to be the black cat with all the bad luck?

“No, no, no, nonoNONONO!” Adrien got up from the window and started pacing around his room nervously. He had messed up SO BAD. He threw his hands up and grasped his hair, pulling on it. How could he ever look into her eyes again?

“Chill, kid!” Plagg said. Luckily, he had been quietly lying under the bedsheets all the time Ladybug was there, not giving away his identity. “Why do you always worry so much about those feelings when all you need to be happy is cheese?”

The sudden sound of Plagg’s voice distracted him from his thoughts. He rolled his eyes and groaned. “Plagg, that’s the only thing YOU need, obviously. Life is a lot more complicated, you know?”

“I could eat cheese all day and still live my life to the fullest. Well, I would still have to sleep sometimes. Speaking of, you should lay down as well, kid. It’s late and you have to go to school tomorrow.” The kwami said.

Adrien’s eyes widened when he looked at the clock. How was it possible that it was already midnight? The sun had barely set when Ladybug entered his room. He quickly changed into his pajama and crawled under the blanket. Plagg laid down right next to his pillow and dozed off immediately.

The thoughts crept out of his subconscious and he wasn’t capable of pushing them back inside. He agonized over what he had done. He had pushed her too fast. He had been overwhelmed by his feelings for her and he had supposed she was feeling the same. Her reaction was obvious. She didn’t want to kiss him or get closer to him. She wanted to get away. Ladybug had turned him down again. She didn’t like him neither as Chat Noir nor as Adrien. She didn’t like him at all. And additionally, he had made her dislike him. He had pushed too hard. He hadn’t been able to hold back his feelings. He had messed up everything he had hoped for. Ha! Chat Noir’s secret superpower of destruction. Fantastic!

Those were the thoughts that kept him awake for a long time that night. He finally fell asleep around 5 o’clock. Luckily, it was a dreamless sleep.

“Wake up, kid, you’re going to be late!”

Adrien bolted upright. He looked at the clock; it was already 7:45. _FUCK! Why didn’t I wake up earlier?_ He got up, took a rapid shower, put on his clothes for the day and grabbed his schoolbag Plagg had slipped into. He ran to the car and told the Gorilla to hurry because he was late.

He arrived at school just in time. He bolted into the classroom only a moment before the teacher. Adrien sat down next to Nino, once again reminded of his conversation with Ladybug the evening before. He tried to pay attention to the teacher but he was so tired he yawned.

“Long night, dude?” Nino whispered.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He replied. No, he really didn’t want to talk about it. Especially not at school. He had thought about it all night long, he sure didn’t want to bring up that topic in his mind again. Adrien tried to focus on the lesson and took notes. The rest of the day was extremely slow-going. When the bell finally rang after the last lesson of the day, Adrien got up and said goodbye to Nino.

When he got home, he ate lunch in the big dining room. His father wasn’t there, as always, so he had to eat alone again. He wasn’t in the mood for food. So he got up and went into his room. He had a lot of homework to do.  _How am I supposed to do homework if I can’t even think straight?_ He thought after hours of math and biology and French. He had to clear his mind and the only way he knew was by jumping across the rooftops as Chat Noir. It was already getting dark, so he decided to transform.

“Plagg, claws out!” He said. Before Plagg was able to protest, he was pulled into the ring and Adrien transformed.

Chat Noir climbed out of the window, and made his way through the young night jumping from one rooftop to the next. He had no particular destination in mind and he enjoyed the cold winter night. The sky was clear and the moon shone bright, he noticed it was almost a full moon. A perfect night to contemplate the beauty of Paris.

He finally settled down next to the pont d’Iéna, on the seine bank opposite of the Eiffel tower. He spent an hour looking at the constant stream of water. _It’s just like time, passing by at a constant speed and no one can ever really stop it_ , he thought. The moon was right on top of the Eiffel tower.  _It's actually quite a romantic view from here._ He felt something hard under his right leg and took it in his hands. It was a stone which had the vague shape of a cat. He decided put it in his pocket, maybe he could use it for something someday.

Chat Noir looked up at the stars and reclined on the ground. It was still early evening, but he was still tired from the night, so he fell asleep. When he woke up, he was cold. His ears and nose felt frozen and he was shaking. He got up, stretched and decided to go home.

He was not paying attention on the route he took, and only realized as he was almost there. Not at home, but at Marinette’s house. Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to her, as she always listened to him and cheered him up. _Strange enough,_ he thought _. If she knew I was Adrien in reality, she most certainly wouldn’t be able to even talk to me without blushing, for whatever reason. Maybe she doesn’t even like me._

He sat on the roof of the neighboring house and debated whether he should visit her or not. He noticed once more how cold he was, and it wasn’t that late yet, so he decided to give it a try.

“Let’s have a little chat with my princess.” He said, slightly smirking at the pun. _Too bad she didn’t hear that._  He jumped over onto her balcony and tapped on her skylight.


	4. I’ll get through it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to include a heartbreak chapter after chapter 2, so here is my attempt at it. I purposefully left out many of the descriptions as it is Marinette's point of view and in a heartbroken state, one usually doesn't focus that much on their surroundings. It's kind of sad and I don't really know where the story is going, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “human” by Christina Perri

_He actually wanted to kiss me!_ Ladybug jumped across the rooftops with a heart as light as it had never been before. She reached her balcony and descended into her room through the skylight. She twirled around and around, embracing herself beaming with happiness until she fell onto her bed. She gazed out of her skylight and let out an enamored sigh. The earth had stopped spinning around her and time stood still. She was flushed with cheer and she never wanted the moment to end.

 “Tikki, spots off” She said. When the mask and her costume were gone, she noticed that time hadn’t stopped and the earth was still spinning.

All of a sudden, Marinette’s emotional state changed remarkably. In fact, Adrien hadn’t leaned in to kiss her, but to kiss Ladybug. She wanted him to love and kiss Marinette, not Ladybug. _Why is this so hard?_ Marinette was only Marinette now. And she felt small and unimportant. Adrien had only had eyes for her superhero-self. Not for her civilian, true self. She felt a tear rolling down her cheek.

“Is everything okay, Marinette?” Her kwami asked. She could see that Marinette was crying and wanted to help her. She snuggled her neck, trying to hug her.

“Thanks Tikki.” She said. “I feel so... So...” she wasn’t able to find words for what she felt. _Lonely? Weak? Desolate? Unloved? Crushed? Worn out? Exhausted? Yes, I think ‘exhausted’ fits my feelings the best at the moment._ “I’m exhausted, Tikki.” She sobbed.

“Marinette, don’t worry. Everything is going to be ok.” Tikki tried to comfort her.

“Nothing is going to be okay. He loves Ladybug, not me!” Her sobbing turned into desperate crying.

“But you ARE Ladybug”

“No, I’m not. I’m Marinette, an insignificant girl who just got her heart broken.” She turned around and buried her face in her pillow. She wanted to suffocate her tears in it. _Or myself, doesn’t matter anymore_ , she thought.

“It’s okay to be sad.” Tikki said in her sweetest voice. “But I know you will be okay. You are so strong”

“I’m not.” Marinette mumbled against her pillow. When her tears ceased, she turned around again, facing Tikki. “Let’s try to sleep, it’s late.” She said with a tired sigh.

Her kwami nestled up against her and fell asleep. Marinette wasn’t that lucky. Her thoughts kept her up until the early morning. When she finally fell asleep, she had no tears left to cry.

Her alarm went off and she growled, pressing the snooze button.

“Marinette, you’re going to be late if you press the snooze button again!” Her mother yelled from downstairs.

She got up and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She took a quick shower and put her clothes on. Then she packed her bag while her kwami looked at her in sorrow. She exhaled slowly and closed her eyes.

“Tikki, I think you are right. I can do it.” With that, she left her room, Tikki in her purse. She greeted her parents halfheartedly, took a croissant and set off for school. She rushed, as she was quite late. When she entered the classroom, Adrien wasn’t there yet. Ph _ew, lucky me_ , she thought relieved. She didn’t want him to look at her today. Or ever again. She was certain she would start to cry if he did. And she would have had to explain why. _I can do it!_

She greeted Nino and Alya, slightly smiling. It was a fake smile, but everything she was able to muster at the moment. She sat down in her seat and pulled the maths book out of her bag. Marinette glanced over to Alya who looked at her worryingly.

“Are you sure everything is okay? You look like you haven’t slept the night again.” Her best friend was right. But she didn’t want to talk about it.

“I’ve just been thinking a lot lately.” She admitted. “But I’ll be okay, don’t worry.”

“Hey girl, I’m there for you, you know? If you want to talk or do something to cheer you up.” Alya was the best. She always wanted Marinette to be happy.

“I know, Alya. I just don’t feel like talking now, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Marinette, it’s okay. You can’t always be happy with everything.” She smiled and hugged her friend

“Thanks, you really are the best.” She said, giving in to the embrace. When they separated, she took a pen out of her pencil case and started to scribble on her page. She was scribbling loops and coils and circles, all in all a big, tangled mess on her paper. Just the way it felt like in her head. She was engrossed in scribbling and didn’t notice Adrien walking in and sitting down at his desk.

When she looked up from her desk, the class had already started. She looked over to Alya to find out which page they were on and her best friend helped her find it. Marinette smiled apologetically and tried to focus on the lesson. She copied the equations the teacher put on the board and even managed to participate.

The school day was long and she hadn’t slept a lot but she attempted to smile and look happy so her classmates - especially Adrien - wouldn’t notice how broken she really felt. Now and then, she put her hand in her purse to feel Tikki as she hugged her finger each time. She was faking it, but there was nothing else she could do. She had to cope with the situation and she was determined to not give in to her emotions.

“I’m sorry, Alya, I want to be alone right now. I have a lot to do at home.” She said when her best friend asked her to hang out.

“It’s alright, girl, just don’t hole up, okay? Call me when you feel like talking.” She hugged Alya, smiling mildly and went home.

On her way home, she once again fell into her thoughts. She would take the pictures of Adrien off her wall today. Currently, Marinette didn’t want to see his face. When she finally arrived, her mother greeted her. “Hello mom, I’m not hungry. And I have plenty of homework to do. I’ll be up in my room.”

“I’ll put something aside for you to eat when you’re hungry.” Her mother said. She briefly kissed her daughter’s forehead and watched her enter her room through the trapdoor. Marinette opened her purse and Tikki jumped out. She gave her kwami a peck on the cheek, thankful for her being there. Then, she took down the photos and put them into a drawer in the casket on her desk.

“Marinette, you look better now.” She said, relieved.

“I am slightly better, you are right, Tikki. Thank you”

Marinette decided to divert herself from her thoughts by making homework. She strained herself with it but she finally finished all the homework for the next week. She got up from her desk and stretched her back on the divan. She leaned back and closed her eyes for a little while.

A moment later, Marinette woke up to the sound of something tapping against her skylight. She struggled to her feet and glanced out of her window. It was dark outside. _How long have I been sleeping?_ She switched on her lights and peered at her clock. Her eyes widened and a squeak escaped her lips. _It’s already 9 o’clock?! I’ve been sleeping for 4 hours?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by another tapping on her skylight.


	5. Meet again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go, my attempt at a sweet Marichat chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “dear happy” by dodie and Thomas Sanders

Chat Noir heard sounds from inside Marinette’s room, so he was certain she was there. And she was still awake. _Or again. Shoot, did I wake her up? Her light wasn’t on before I tapped. Well, it’s too late now to go back, she’s already awake. And it’s FREEZING cold outside._

He knocked on the skylight one more time and peeked inside. He was right above her bed and saw her climb the ladder to her loft. She was nearly there and he could see the tired but excited look on her face.

Marinette was somewhat surprised when she saw Chat Noir outside her window. She knew he didn’t like the cold too much so she hadn’t expected him to go on patrol. She opened her skylight and welcomed him. “Hello Chat, what are you doing here?”

“I decided to go on patrol but it’s too cold and I’m feline soooooo icy.” He said, taking her hand in his and touching his nose against it for her to feel how cold he was. “See, I’m almost furrrrrozen.” He looked at her with a begging expression.

Marinette giggled at his awful puns. He always had this influence on her. On Marinette, at least. As Ladybug she didn’t like them that much, but that was due to the fact that saving Paris from akumas was a rather serious issue.

“I always thought you were a cool cat." She teased. "Cat in here!”  _Did I actually just make a cat pun?_ She was taken by surprise by her own words. She moved out of the way so he could get down into her room. It was the first time she let him inside, but based on the circumstances it was okay for her. Luckily, she had taken down the pictures of Adrien right after school.  _That could have become awkward and embarrassing_ , she thought.

_Wait, was that a cat pun?_  Chat Noir smirked. He turned around and descended into her room. Standing next to her bed, he looked around. “Your room is lovely, princess.” He marveled. It looked so cozy and comfortable and in contrast to his room it actually felt like a home.

Marinette looked closely at Chat Noir. He appeared to be honestly impressed, cautiously analyzing her room. She made herself comfortable with a blanket on the divan, leaving space for him.

She seemed to be expecting him to come down from her loft. He jumped down, landing on his feet right in the middle of her room. He turned around to explore what was under her loft bed. Her huge work space caught his eye and he stepped closer to have a look at what seemed to be her sketchbook. “Did you make those sketches, princess? They are gorgeous.” He said with an impressed expression on his face.

Marinette blushed and nodded. _Why am I blushing? Chat probably doesn’t know a lot about fashion anyway._ “Yes, I made these.” _And all the others sketches and designs you hopefully won’t find today._ She didn’t really enjoy talking about her talents; it always felt like bragging to her.

“Do you still feel cold?” She asked, lifting her blanket so he would see that she wanted to warm him up a little.

Chat Noir noticed the slight discomfort in her voice and put the sketchbook back onto the desk where he had found it. He turned around to see her offering him a seat next to her with the blanket lifted so he could slip underneath. He settled down and instantly was comfortable. “Thank you, purrrrincess.” He purred.

Marinette giggled and the clouds that had surrounded her heart the past two days lightened up. She enjoyed his presence and closed her eyes, smiling softly. “I’m so happy to see you, Chat.” She confessed with a slight sigh. “I didn’t have many good moments recently.” She looked down onto the blanket covering her and a tear escaped her eye.

“Sounds like you had a bad time. What happened?” He sensed that a pun wouldn’t be a good choice due to the circumstances. He gazed at her and noticed the tear on her face. “Hey, princess, don’t you cry. Can I do anything to make you feel better?”

 She turned her head to look at him. He was watching her with an expression filled with worry and care. She sniffed and wiped the tear from her cheek and his honest concern raised a smile on her face.

“There is this boy in my class I like... I mean I REALLY like him... But... He doesn’t seem to even notice me.”

“Mari, I’m sure he does. How could anyone not notice you? You are such a kind girl, always there for everyone and remember the time you told me how you stood your ground when that girl, Chloé, bullied your friends? You are the loveliest person I know.” He took her hand in his and smiled at her. He had been there when she stood up to Chloé, but he couldn't admit that without giving himself away.

She felt how gentle he caressed her hand. It was nice and consoled her a bit. “Thank you, Chat. But I doubt he does. Even if, I can barely talk to him. I always just stutter and my sentences don’t make any sense when he’s around. Usually, I just stare at him. Well, at the back of his head, at least. He sits right in front of me in class.”

_Right in front of her..? THAT’S ME! Marinette likes me!_ He thought as he blushed slightly. Thankfully, his mask covered most of his face so Marinette wouldn’t notice. Strangely enough he was happy to know that she liked him. _But what if she only likes me because I’m a model?_  He knew that Marinette wasn’t a person to choose the people she liked based on their looks, but he was used to people who did just that.

“If he doesn’t notice you, he doesn’t deserve you.”

“No, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve him. He is so kind and caring and he always wants the best for everyone around him. I’m not worth it. I’m clumsy and awkward.” Marinette replied.

Chat Noir was flustered. She really liked him for who he was. “You are gorgeous, Marinette” He said, holding back laughter. “Did you notice that you described him using almost the exact same words I used to describe you?” He tapped on her nose and smirked. Talking to him seemed to ease the tension she had inside. He still held her hand in his and stroked it with his thumb. “I will repeat it to you over and over again, until you believe me.”

Marinette chuckled and looked into his bright green eyes. “Thank you, Chat. I’m glad you are my friend.” She placed her head on his shoulder and they stayed like that for a while.

“You know, I really appreciate your company.” She finally said, snuggling up to him and closing her eyes.

He put his arm around her and gave her a peck on her forehead. He noticed that he enjoyed being with her. He enjoyed it even more than Ladybug’s presence. _What does that mean? I love Ladybug. I have loved her since the moment we met._ But he couldn’t deny that he started to like Marinette as well. And he felt very comfortable with her. He rested his head on hers and closed his eyes.

 “Princess?” He whispered, but she was asleep. He took her in his arms and felt the warmth of her body through his suit. It felt perfect having her that close to him and he didn’t want to let her go. But it was really late and he had a photoshoot the next day.

When Marinette woke up, she noticed Chat Noir embracing her.  She put her arms around him as well and sighed contentedly. She felt safe and comfy in his arms. “Would you mind staying?” She asked.

“It’s getting late.” He replied and he was sad that time was passing by so fast. “But I will visit you soon.” He got up and walked to the ladder.

“Thank you for this purrrfect evening, Chat.” She giggled and embraced him once more.

“It was pawsitively wonderful.” Chat Noir returned, smirking. He climbed up the ladder, and she followed him. He looked into her eyes once more, took her hand and kissed it lightly. “See you soon, princess.” With that, he leaped out of her window into the night.

“I hope so, Kitty.” Marinette said, fully aware that he couldn’t hear her anymore.


	6. More than enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song “shine on (little diamond)” by Marit Larsen

On Saturday morning, Marinette woke up well-rested. She stayed in bed for another hour to think about the evening before. Was it possible that Adrien had noticed her? _Maybe, but if so, he probably thinks I’m weird,_ she thought. But there was something - or rather someone - else on her mind. Chat had been so nice, he had just been there to hold her hand and listen to her.  _Maybe he’s not as much of an idiot as I thought._

“Marinette, why are you frowning?”

“It’s nothing, Tikki. I’ve just been thinking about last night.”

“Wasn’t it a good evening? I thought you enjoyed it.”

“I did. But I think I... Like Chat. He was so kind to me yesterday. Did you notice the way he kissed me on my forehead?”

Tikki giggled. “I noticed. But what is it about that thought that makes you frown?”

“I... I don’t know for sure... I like Adrien, I’ve always liked him. Why am I starting to like Chat now? I’ve turned him down so often.”

“I understand that. But you know what they say, to err is human. And despite being Ladybug, you are still human.”

“I know, Tikki, but I don’t think I can do this to him. I mean, he’s had a crush on Ladybug for a long time now and she turned him down all this time. Someday, he will find out who she is, who I am. I don’t want to hurt him that way. He’s still my partner.”

“You know he likes you as Ladybug. And I think he starts to like you as Marinette as well. When the day comes and he finds out who you are, he will be happy about it. Believe me, I’m certain. How could he not like you?”

“I’m scared of disappointing him. What if I’m not good enough for him?”

“Marinette, you are more than enough. You see, I know both of your sides. I know clumsy Marinette and lucky Ladybug. I know fragile Marinette and strong Ladybug. I know shy Marinette and confident Ladybug.”

“But Tikki, YOU give Ladybug her power and strength. I’m just plain ordinary Marinette.”

“You are both Ladybug and Marinette. The only things I give you are the mask, the suit and the yoyo. Everything else has always been inside of you. That’s why master Fu chose you.”

“Hmm... What about Adrien? I still like him. I don’t know if I’m able to choose between them. If I do, what if it’s the wrong choice? What if I only like Chat because Adrien is out of reach?”

“Time will show you. Now get up and have fun today. You should call Alya.”

Marinette got up and reached for her phone. She dialed her best friend’s number who instantly picked up.

“I’ll be there in 5!” Alya screamed.

“Make it 20, Alya. I still have to take a shower.” Marinette rolled her eyes. They hung up and she went into the bathroom. When she came out 15 minutes later, Alya was already there, impatiently rocking back and forth in her study chair.

“Girl, what took you so long?” She laughed.

“As I said, Alya, I had to take a shower.”

“So what was up the last few days? You’ve not been acting quite like yourself recently.” Alya got to the point straightforwardly.

“I’ve been thinking a lot. About this boy...”

“Girl, I know who you are talking about, no need to hide it.”

“You know?” Her eyes widened in shock. _How did she figure it out? Did she see Chat leaving last night?_

“Of course I do, you’ve been into Adrien for ages. It’s nothing new that you think about him.”

Marinette breathed a quiet sigh of relief. _Good, she doesn’t know about me and Chat._ “Okay, well I noticed he behaved differently last week. I thought maybe it has something to do with that akuma threatening his father on Wednesday.”

“I noticed that too. It’s not like him to be late for school. And he almost didn’t make it to school in time on Friday as well. Do you think he is worried? I mean, there are many people who don’t like Gabriel Agreste and would take revenge on him when possessed by an akuma.”

“You’re right, Alya, maybe he is scared. But it hurts me seeing him like that. I just want him to be happy”

“Maybe you could ask him to have lunch with you on Monday. And then you talk, he spills his heart to you, you take his hands and he will kiss you and-”

Marinette interrupted her best friend. “Alya, we both know this won’t happen. First of all, how am I supposed to ask him if I can’t even look into his eyes? And why should he kiss me just because I listen to him?”

“Ugh Mari, think positive." She knew there was no way to convince Marinette, so Alya changed the subject.  "Anyways, do you want to go fabric-shopping?” She had learned quite early that Marinette would never turn down the opportunity to look for new fabrics for her designs.

“Yeah, I’m going to grab my purse and let’s go.”

On their way outside, they quickly took something to eat from the bakery, and when they exited the building they started walking and talking about everything that came to their minds. First, they ambled around town and occasionally walked into shops to have a look at the newest fashion. When they arrived at the drapery, Marinette spotted some beautiful fabrics and she instantly had a new design in mind. She picked out a lovely green fabric - _just like his gorgeous eyes_ -, a dark black fabric - m _atching his cute cat ears -_ and a golden cord - _it fits the bell on his collar._ _I will sew a warm hoodie for Chat so he doesn’t get cold anymore,_ she thought.

“Wow, these fabrics are great! They match Adrien’s look perfectly. Green for his eyes, gold for his hair and black for... Well, for the shirt he always wears. What do you want to make for him?” Her best friend smirked.

Marinette was surprised. Her best friend was right; the fabrics matched both of them. _They are quite similar, I guess_. “I was thinking about making him a hoodie.” She said. She didn’t want to tell Alya that it was actually for Chat Noir.

“Let’s go home and start working then, girl!” Alya said. “I know how good and fast you are at sewing. Don’t you think it would be a good present for Valentine’s Day?”

“You are right, Alya. Let’s go home, I’ll start right away!”

When they arrived at Marinette’s home, they entered her room and started unpacking the supplies. Marinette quickly made a sketch and then started cutting, Alya helping her. When they had finished cutting all the pieces she needed, Alya embraced her best friend and went home as it was already getting dark outside.

“Marinette, dear!” Her mother called from down the stairs. “Come down and eat something, you must be starving.” Marinette quickly glanced over to her clock and noticed that it was rather late. _Mom is right, I haven’t eaten anything since this morning_ , she realized. When she came down the stairs, her mother had prepared a meal for them. They sat down and started eating.

“Are you okay, dear? You’ve been so quiet lately.” Her mother looked at her in sorrow.

“Yes, thanks mom. It’s just puberty and hormones, don’t worry.” She answered. She didn’t want to tell her mother that she had feelings for two boys at the same time. They finished eating and talked just like they always did. Her mother’s worries eased with every sentence they spoke.

“Can I go up to my room? I started a new sewing project today and I kind of want to finish it soon.” Marinette asked.

“Of course, sweety”

With that, she stood up and went into her room. She spent the whole evening sewing until she somehow finished the hoodie. She was proud of herself that she had finished it in such a short amount of time. She put the hoodie in a box and hid it in her closet. Then she noticed how tired she was, she quickly brushed her teeth and went to bed. Marinette closed her eyes when suddenly a familiar tap sound woke her again.


	7. Running back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song “life after you” by Daughtry

Adrien spent the day on set of his photoshoot. It was dull and utterly exhausting. The photographer had already scolded him several times for not keeping the facial expression he wanted him to make. But he just couldn’t; he had been thinking about Marinette all day which led to him smiling. The evening they had spent together had been a lot better than any other evening he had spent without her in his life. He truly had wanted to stay in her room with her and never leave again.

However, he had duties he was bound to comply with in order to not tick off his father. He had never particularly enjoyed modeling but he grew up with it as a major part of his life.

“Adrien, focus!” The photographer disciplined him once again. “If you don’t concentrate more I will call mister Agreste.”

“No, please don’t. I promise I will focus.” He knew how infuriated his father would be if he heard about him not behaving at a photoshoot.

“Okay then. Change into the next outfit.” The photographer ordered.

Adrien quickly changed and made an effort to stay concentrated during the rest of the shoot.

“That was the last one, thank you for ultimately doing what you were supposed to do all day.”

He was glad that he finally was free to go and let out a sigh of relief. He quickly changed into his own clothes and went outside to meet the driver. It was already getting dark when he came home to Nathalie telling him that his dinner was being prepared and he was supposed to eat in 5 minutes. Upon entering the dining hall, he was not surprised to see that his father wasn’t there. “Guess I’ll eat alone again.” He murmured. After he was finished, he got up and walked towards his room when Nathalie followed him.

“Adrien, your father wants me to inform you that you have another photoshoot on Monday, so you will not go to school that day.”

“Okay, Nathalie. If there is nothing else, I want to go to my room and be alone this evening.” Nathalie nodded and Adrien went into his room. He locked the door just in case someone decided to look after him and took a shower.

“Plagg, I want to see my princess.” He said after sitting down on his bed.

“Now?”

“No, Plagg, in 2 years...” He said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. “Of course now.”

“But why? We had such a busy day and I’m tired.”

“WE? All you did was sitting around, sleeping and eating camembert.” He scoffed. “I don’t want to discuss this now. Plagg, claws out!” He opened the window, jumped outside and left it ajar.

Chat Noir rushed through the cold night yearning to see her again as soon as possible. He smoothly landed on her balcony and looked into her room. Thanks to his excellent night vision, he could see her lying in bed with her eyes closed. _Is she sleeping already? She is so beautiful._ He decided to give it a try nonetheless and tapped on the skylight.

“Chat, what are you doing here?” Marinette said when she opened the window. She was tired and wanted to sleep, but she knew she also wanted to spend time with him. She moved away to let him inside her room and closed the window again.

“I told you I would visit you soon.” He answered with his signature grin.

“I didn’t expect you to be back THAT soon.” She said. _Good thing I hid the hoodie before going to bed._ She sat down on her bed with her legs folded and expected Chat Noir to do the same.

He got nervous. “I-I’m sorry to disturb you, princess. If you want me to leave, I will.”

“No, please stay, stupid cat.” She tapped on her bed with her hand, signaling him to sit down next to her.

“Purrrfect, purrrrincess.” He said teasingly and sat down.

Marinette chuckled and looked up to him. _Why does he have to be taller than me even when we’re both sitting?_ “What did you do today?”

“That’s a secret!” He winked.

“Bummer! I would like to know what the great Chat Noir does all day. I bet he sleeps most of the day, just like a real cat.” she joked.

“That’s what my kwami did all day.” He laughed. “I can’t tell you what I did today but I can tell you that I have been thinking a lot.”

“Really? What did you think about?”

He looked at her and their eyes met; he sunk into the deep blue of her eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, he quietly whispered “You.”

She clearly felt the air sizzling between them while gazing into his eyes. When she heard the word he had whispered she instantly turned bright red. “Me? Why did you think about me?” She asked surprisedly.

“I don’t really know...” That was a lie. He knew exactly why, but he didn’t want to blurt it out that he was excited to know she liked him - well, Adrien - and that he liked her back. He still loved Ladybug, but the last evening had sparked his affection towards Marinette. “It was nice of you to let me enter your room to warm me up yesterday. And when we started talking and getting clo-... You make me feel better.” He said, turning red.

She blushed even more, if that was possible. She took his hand and looked into his green eyes. “You make me feel better, too. I feel so comfortable around you. If I cuddled up into your arms right now I would never want you to let me go.” _Shit, did I actually just say that out loud?_ She quickly looked away from him so he wouldn’t see her bright red face.

Chat Noir was taken by surprise by her words. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards himself, resting his head on her shoulder. When he noticed that her body was tensing up, he quickly let go of her. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...” He apologized, clearing his throat.

“I... I liked it...” She stammered “I-I was just... unprepared...” She laughed slightly to ease her nervousness.

 _Wow, her laugh is just as beautiful as everything else about her. How did I not notice her earlier?_ He joined in and laughed with her and he felt that both of them relaxed more and more.

She looked into his cat-eyes and felt joy bubbling up inside her. Their laugh got louder until Chat and Marinette were snorting with laughter.

“What were we laughing about?” He said after regaining his breath. He had completely forgotten the world around them. Right now, his whole world consisted of Marinette sitting beside him laughing.

“I have no idea.” She stated. “But it feels good.”

“Yeah, it does.” Their eyes met again and this time none of them wanted the moment to end. He slowly lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. Although his gloves took away most of his fingers' sensitivity, he could feel that it was even softer than he had imagined it. He glanced at her lips; they were a lovely shade of pink. He subconsciously moved closer, but he stopped and looked back into her eyes.

Marinette was completely caught up in the moment. She noticed that he had gotten nearer and she raised her arm to his neck and pulled him even closer. Just before their lips met, there was a loud detonation outside followed by screams and they jumped apart.

“I guess I have to go and save Paris, my princess.” Chat Noir said and reached up at the skylight. “Stay here, that akuma must be near. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He jumped outside and closed the window.

Marinette gazed after him, trying to realize what just happened. _I almost kissed Chat Noir! And it felt right_. She sighed happily. _Too bad the akuma stopped us. THE AKUMA!_

“Tikki, we need to help Chat. Spots on!” Ladybug quickly jumped out of her room and followed the direction the screams came from. She was still overwhelmed by the feeling she had felt when Chat almost kissed her so she was not as concentrated as usual. She slipped one or two times but got back to her feet instantly.

“Nice to see you, my lady.” Chat said. “Are you okay? You seem distracted.”

 _If you only knew..._ She giggled and blushed under her mask. “Of course I am ok. Let’s end this quickly; I was in the middle of something.” They fought against the akuma and although she was not as focused as always, they defeated it after only half an hour. Ladybug purified the akuma and set the butterfly free. She threw her lucky charm into the air and yelled “Miraculous Ladybug! Pound it!” They fist bumped as everything went back to normal before her miraculous beeped for the final warning. “I have to go now, see you soon. Bug out!”

Chat Noir had noticed how dreamy his lady had been. _What has she been doing to make her so different?_ He noticed that she was moving into the direction he had come from. That is to say into the direction where Marinette lives. He decided to not follow her as she always wanted to keep her identity a secret. _Maybe it’s just a coincidence and she only lives close to Marinette_.

He rushed home and released his transformation, falling onto his bed.

“What are you so happy about, kid?”

“We got so close, Plagg. She pulled me in to kiss her.” He sighed.

“You know you didn’t actually get the chance to kiss, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do. But that was only because of the akuma attack. Now I’m sure, Marinette is the one I truly love. Ladybug has been my crush all this time, but I feel so good around Marinette. She makes me laugh and that’s what I want.”

“You have to tell her, then. But first, give me my cheese. I’m starving.”

Adrien gave him a piece of camembert and pondered about how to tell Marinette about his feelings. “Ummm... I don’t know... Maybe I could... No...” He thought out loud. “I know, I’ll ask her out for Valentine’s Day.”


	8. Through with you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song "ugly heart” by G.R.L.

Sunday rushed by as Marinette helped her parents in the bakery. Now and then she thought about what had happened before the akuma attack, but she pushed the thoughts into the back of her mind until she entered her room. As soon as she closed the trapdoor, the thoughts and memories exploded in her mind. They were about to kiss and she really wanted it to happen.

“But I love Adrien!” She smacked her hands into her face and grumbled.

“Is everything okay, Marinette?” Tikki asked.

“Chat is annoying and a flirt and his puns bug me so much!” She frowned at her own pun. _What is he doing with my head?_

“Be honest to yourself, you like him. A lot, if you ask me.”

She let out an irritated growl. “I don’t know what to do. I love Adrien. But I’m starting to like Chat as well. Can you like two boys at the same time?”

“Of course, Marinette. You only have to trust your heart and do what it tells you. And then you can decide.” The kwami hugged her cheek with her tiny arms.

“Thank you, Tikki.” She sat down at her desk and worked on her sketches, desperately pushing away her thoughts, until she went to bed. It didn’t take long for her to fall into a deep, quiet sleep. She woke up right before her alarm went off and prepared herself for the day. She took a shower, put on warm clothes and had a little breakfast.

When she arrived at school and entered the classroom, some of her classmates were already there, but Alya wasn’t yet. Juleka was wearing a new outfit today and everyone was complimenting on how gorgeous it looked on her. Marinette had just joined in when the door was opened and Chloé entered the room followed by Sabrina.

“Disgusting” she scoffed. “None of you has a good taste of fashion like me.” Juleka was visibly hurt by Chloé’s words and ran to the restroom.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Marinette stepped in. “You are disrespectful to everyone!”

“None of your business, Maribrat! You are lower than me - all of you! I don’t have to treat any of you with respect.” She sighed derogatorily and sat down at her desk.

Marinette didn’t give up that easily. She positioned herself right in front of her and spoke with an angry yet steady and calm voice. “You may always have the newest fashion to put on and your face is quite pretty, I admit. But on the inside you are a spoiled brat. No wonder no one wants to be your friend if you treat everyone around you like they were inferior to you. Those people are great and they are my friends. I won’t let you hurt any of my friends ever again.”

Without waiting for an answer, she left the room, squeezing past Alya and Nino who were standing in the door frame, staring at her with their mouths open, and looked for Juleka. She didn’t want her to be sad and possibly attract an akuma. She entered the restroom and found her crying in one of the stalls.

“Juleka, are you okay?” She asked compassionately.

“Chloé is right; I look awful in this outfit.” Juleka sobbed.

“Are you kidding me? You look gorgeous. All the others think so, too. Chloé was mean to you but you know that’s how she is.”

“Thank you Marinette, but I’m too embarrassed to go back in there. What if she says something more?”

“I’m pretty sure she won’t. I put her in her place right after you left.”

“Really? Thank you so much Marinette, you are the best!” Juleka unlocked the door, stepped out of the stall and hugged her.

“Let’s dry your tears and go back to the classroom, okay? The lesson has already started.”

They entered the room and everyone, except Chloé stared at them and whispered about what had happened. They quickly apologized to the teacher and took their seats. Marinette was sweating and her face was deep red because she didn’t like being stared at. That is, without her mask on.

“Could you please pay attention, everyone? Otherwise there will be a test tomorrow.” The teacher shut down the conversations between the students and continued lecturing. Chloé very obviously refused to look at Marinette and didn’t say a word during the whole Lesson. When the bell rang for lunch break, everyone got up and left the room, smiling at Marinette and thanking her for being their hero. _Good thing they don’t know I actually am a superhero._ She giggled slightly and Alya and Marinette walked to the cafeteria to get something to eat.

“Girl, that was insane! You stood up against Chloé like no one has ever before!”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t really nice. I shouldn’t have overreacted that much.”

“Are you serious? That was the bravest thing you ever did! Plus, she needed it. You are so right; she can’t treat everyone like they were lower class.”

“Maybe, but I think I was too mean.”

“No girl, you weren’t. She deserved it. No more arguing.” She smiled at her friend with a determined sparkle in her eyes.

“Okay, Alya.” She sighed. “Anyways, do you know where Adrien is?”

“Nino told me he has a photoshoot today but will be back tomorrow.”

“Oh okay.”

She drifted off into her thoughts about Adrien and how great he certainly looked at that moment, standing in front of the camera. He took his hand up to his head and ran his fingers through his hair looking at her and smiling only for her. He stepped closer to her, raising his hand and Alya clicked her fingers right in front of her face.

“You in there, Girl?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah!” She blushed. “Just... thinking.”

“I know what you’ve been thinking about.” Alya chuckled. “You imagined Adrien running his hand through his hair.”

“How do you know?” She stared at her best friend with wide eyes. _Am I that easy to read?_

“Because you always sigh and lean your head over to the side like this when you think about him.”

“Hey girls, can I eat with you?” Nino, standing behind Marinette, suddenly asked. _How long has he been standing there? Did he hear everything we talked about?_ Marinette was close to freaking out and she wanted to dig herself a deep, deep hole to hide in.

“Sure, Nino.” Alya answered. He sat down next to her and started eating.

“Dude, it was totally awesome how you showed Chloé her limits this morning!” He held his thumbs up and smiled at Marinette. She relaxed slightly and they laughed and talked until they had to go back into their classroom for the next lesson.

When school was over, Marinette went home and spent the rest of the day with her parents. They ate dinner and she and her father played video games. After a while she excused herself and went upstairs to make her homework.

“Tikki, Chat wasn’t here yesterday and I worry that he won’t come today either.” She said cheerlessly when she shut her book.

“I don’t know, Marinette. Maybe he is busy. Do you want him to come?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet. But I really enjoyed his last visits. I thought he liked it, too.”

“Don’t worry; I think he will come back soon.” She lightly patted Marinette’s head. "But you should rest now."

"Okay, let’s go to sleep then, I’m tired.”


	9. Cannonball into the water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter is kind of going to be the halfway party of my first fanfiction as I want to end it on Valentine's Day which happens to be "next Saturday" in the story.  
> This chapter is a little more on the short side, consisting almost completely of dialogue. Hope you enjoy anyway.
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “for you I will” by Teddy Geiger

After making the decision to invite Marinette for Valentine’s Day, he spent the whole Sunday thinking about and preparing a surprise for her. He didn’t completely know what he wanted to do yet but he wanted it to be perfect and he only had 6 days left.

“Don’t you think you should get some sleep, kid?” Plagg asked.

“I’m busy, Plagg.” He said, unaware of how late it was already.

“Adrien, you have a photoshoot tomorrow.” The kwami rolled his eyes before glancing over to the clock and instantly corrected himself. “Today.”

“What do you mean by _today_?” Plagg showed him the clock. “IT’S ALMOST 1 IN THE MORNING? Plagg, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I did. Three times, to be honest. But you wouldn’t listen to me.”

Adrien growled considerably, went into his bathroom and brushed his teeth. He quickly slipped on his pajama and slid under his blanket. He didn’t fall asleep right away because he couldn’t stop thinking about Marinette and his surprise for her. He was too excited. After almost an hour he finally drifted off into sleep.

_“My princess, I need to tell you something.” Chat Noir said when he let himself down through the skylight into her room._

_“What is it?” She asked curiously._

_“I... I’m...Wow, this is harder than I thought...” He stuttered and rubbed his neck nervously. “Close your eyes.”_

_She looked at him in surprise but did as he directed and closed her eyes._ _He moved closer to her, taking her hand in his right and cupping her cheek with his left hand._

_“Plagg, claws in.” After the transformation was released, he felt her soft skin under his fingers. He quickly kissed her lips, afraid of any reaction, and pulled her closer to him. After a moment he leaned back to look at her. Marinette said nothing, but she smiled. That was a good sign, wasn’t it? She still had her eyes closed and he kissed her again, more passionately than before and she kissed back. “You can open your eyes now.”_

_She opened her eyes and the expression on her face was not the one he had hoped for. It was a strange mixture of surprise, shock, disappointment and... And sadness._

_“Adrien? YOU are Chat Noir? I should have known. You’ve been playing with my feelings all this time. I can’t believe it. I thought you weren’t like Chloé, but deep inside I guess I knew it from the moment you placed the chewing gum on my seat. Leave me alone and don’t you dare come back ever again!” She was yelling the last words, tears running down her cheeks, and his heart tore into a million pieces._

_“Princess, I swear I-“ He reached out to her hand but she pulled away._

_“I don’t want to hear it anymore. Get out of my life.” She turned away from him, covering her face with her hands._

_“Plagg, claws out” he whispered, trying to hold back the tears collecting in his eyes. He leaped outside, ran across the city and sat down on a random roof. He allowed himself to cry until there were no tears left in his eyes._

“Adrien? Are you okay, kid?”

He sat bolt upright in his bed and squinted his eyes. A tear rolled down his cheek and landed on his chest. “Yes, Plagg. I think so...”

“It was just a dream. Get back to sleep so you look good in a few hours.” The kwami lightly patted his head.

“Thank you, Plagg.”

He turned his pillow around since it was wet from his tears. He fell asleep again and this time, fortunately, it was a dreamless sleep.

When he woke up in the morning he got ready for the photoshoot. Luckily, Plagg didn’t ask about the dream he had. He didn’t want to talk about it and was glad that Plagg respected that.

The photoshoot deflected his attention away from his thoughts quite well, so he was able to focus and the photographer was pleased with his performance. He was, in fact, praising Adrien for being "such a handsome and talented young man". After the photoshoot, he had even called Gabriel Agreste to compliment him on his gifted son and thanked him for the opportunity of working with him.

“What was that dream about you had tonight? You were extremely agitated, you even cried in your sleep.” Plagg asked when they were back home in his room.

“It was about Chat Noir confessing to Marinette that it’s me.” Adrien answered with a sigh.

“Why did you cry then?”

“She didn’t react quite the way I hope she would. She shouted at me for playing with her feelings. And she never really forgave me that incident with the chewing gum on her seat on my first day at school. She kicked me out of her room... Out of her life...”

“Kid, you are driving yourself crazy. You apologized to her the next day and explained that you tried to take it off, Chloé had placed it there.”

“I know, Plagg, but what if she really hasn’t forgiven me?”

“What would be there to forgive? You didn’t do anything. I’m convinced she will not react like that. That is, if you still want to do it.”

“Of course I want to. I love her and I don’t want any secrets between me and her.”

“Did you already think about how you want to ask her out? I mean, you already spent hours mulling over how to confess to her.”

“I totally forgot about that. Should I ask her? Or should Chat Noir do? What if she doesn’t want me at all?”

“You have to be at least a little more confident. She likes you and you know that.”

“I think I will need Chat’s charm to do it. I can’t do it alone.” Adrien spent the rest of the day chewing over how to ask Marinette out for Valentine’s Day. In the end, he gave up, he just couldn’t think of the perfect way to ask her out. And he wanted it to be perfect, because Marinette deserved nothing less than absolutely 100 percent perfect.

He went to bed earlier than the day before, excited but slightly nervous because he knew he would see her in school the next day.

“I’m going to muster every ounce of confidence I have... When I find out how to ask her out.” He said to Plagg, right before he fell asleep.


	10. Can't take it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have not mapped out or planned anything about this story, so I really have no idea where this is going to go. I'm kind of sorry, I just write what comes to my mind and I hope it's not too confusing. Then again, all this "two people but 4 persons" thing is confusing even to Adrien and Marinette, I think. So maybe I'm just capturing this, I don't know :D  
> Have fun reading this chapter and leave me comments if you want, I like to read them.
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “I can wait forever” by Simple Plan

Adrien woke up on Tuesday morning and looked around his room. It was winter in Paris, so it was still dark outside at this time. He turned on the light and got up to get ready for school. When he arrived there early, he decided to wait for Marinette on top of the stairs. As soon as Nino and Alya were within earshot, he quickly nodded towards them and said that he wanted to wait some more outside. They looked at each other and grinned widely, going into the building.

 _Finally, there is Marinette! She is so beautiful._ His gaze lightened up as she appeared at the last minute and ascended the stairs.

“Hey Marinette!” He called, smiling happily.

She jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, nearly falling down the stairs, but his cat-like reflexes were on point. He caught her hand and pulled her up towards him. She looked up at him with wide eyes, stammering “H-hello, A-Adrien. Thank... Thank you.”

 _She is so sweet when she blushes._ He thought; his smile widening. “Can I ask you something?”

“S-Sure, Adrien. What is it?”

“I wanted to...” _Man, why am I so nervous? I just want to ask her out for Valentine’s Day. It’s not that big of a deal. Actually, yes it is. What was I thinking? I can’t just ask her in passing._

“Adrien? Is everything ok?”

He hadn’t noticed that he was looking right through her and tapping his foot nervously. Aaaand he was still holding her hand. He forced himself to look into her eyes. He got lost in her gaze for a moment but soon realized he currently was not Chat Noir and Marinette seemed to freak out every moment now. He stepped back and let go of her hand. “Um... I-I... I wanted to ask you if I could borrow your notes from yesterday. Nino does not really take notes properly. Only if you are okay with that, of course.” _Stop spluttering!!!!_ He rubbed his neck and looked at her again.

“Sure, but we have to go inside. Class is about to start in a minute.”

He quickly followed her inside the classroom and sat down at his desk. During class he almost wasn’t able to resist the urge to turn around and look at her but he somehow managed to only do so when class was dismissed for the day.

“Dude, you totally missed something awesome yesterday!” Nino suddenly said to him as soon as the teacher had left.

“Did the teacher forget we had homework again?”

“No, man. Marinette stood up to Chloé. It was absolutely awesome!”

“Nino, leave it.” Marinette hissed from behind, flushing.

Adrien turned around to look at Marinette with wide eyes. He was honestly impressed by her courage. “You did WHAT?”

She looked at him like a deer in the headlight. “I just... Juleka wore this gorgeous new outfit and Chloé insulted her and told everyone we were nothing compared to her. I kind of lost it and told her I would not let her hurt any of my friends ever again.”  Adrien’s eyes widened more and more in shock about what Marinette was telling him. “And... I-I know she is your friend. I shouldn’t preach down on her, I’m sorry.”

He stood up and positioned himself next to her, taking her hands and looking deep into her blue eyes. “Are you serious? I truly admire you for being that brave. Chloé has been my friend for years but it was only because I didn’t know anyone else. I always wanted to tell her off but my father wouldn’t let me. Thank you so much for standing your - our - ground. You are amazing!” Marinette’s whole body was tense and he felt she wanted him to let go of her.

He released her hands and rubbed his neck again. “I... I-I’m soooooo sorry. I shouldn’t have-” Marinette opened her mouth to say something, but she changed her mind, turned around and left the room running. Adrien quickly followed her, leaving the rest of the class behind, wondering about what just happened.

She just ran around the corner when he exited the building. He was concerned about what made her run away. _I just took her hands. Aaand I kind of told her how amazing she was. Maybe she doesn’t really like me after all. Or I intimidated her. That must be why she left. FUCK!_ The driver pulled up in front of the building and Adrien knew he had no chance of running after Marinette or looking for her. He silently got into the car and they drove home. He quickly ate something and entered his room, locking the door.

“Plagg, what should I do now? I scared her away.” He lamented.

“First of all, get me some camembert.” Plagg demanded.  Adrien opened the small package he had snuck out of the kitchen earlier. “Great, thanks.” The kwami swallowed half the cheese in one go and savored the rest of it.

“Are you going to help me? Or do you just float around and eat cheese?”

“I thought to do the latter.”

“I know you are not really helpful, but I hoped you would at least help me with _this_.”

“Okay, kid, whatever. What do you want to do?”

“I have no Idea. I seriously fucked up this time, didn't I? She was so terrified, she ran away. She didn’t stay or say something. She just fled.”

“If you don’t know what to do, how would I know?”

“I want to see her. Embrace her. Hold her in my arms and never let her go. It was so hard for me not seeing her two days in a row. But I guess she doesn’t want to see me now after what just happened.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to see Adrien, which you don’t know for sure. But there is still Chat Noir who can visit her. I don’t think she would leave her 'stupid cat' freezing outside her window.”

“You are right, Plagg. I _can_ make this right again. Chat will talk to Marinette and convince her that Adrien didn’t want to hurt her. Plagg, claws out!”

Chat Noir opened the window and left his room, eager to see his princess again.


	11. Run away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think this story is going to include a reveal close to the end, but what do I know about the story I write anyway :D
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “shine” by Plain White T’s

_He is talking to me. Adrien is talking to me. AND HE’S HOLDING MY HANDS!!!_ Marinette was flustered and didn’t know what to do. Actually, she wasn’t just flustered, she was close to fainting. The way he was looking into her eyes made her legs feel like jelly.

The only way she could think of to get out of this situation without passing out was running. So she ran. Out of the room, racing through the corridors and leaving the building as fast as she could. She heard footsteps right behind her but she didn’t dare to look back. Luckily, being Ladybug gave her civilian self a lot of stamina and speed. When she turned around the corner she noticed that whoever had been following her had stopped, so she slowed down to a more normal pace.

She entered her home, careful not to catch her parent’s attention. She didn’t want to explain to them why her face was dark red. She tossed her bag into the corner and let herself fall onto her divan face down. _WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH ME?!_ That was the thought that rang in her head over and over again. After almost an hour she felt settled enough to make her homework. She knew she had to do something to stop her self-destructive thoughts, so she got up, took her book out of her bag and sat down at her desk.

Right when she wanted to start writing and the pen was about to touch the paper in front of her, she heard a well-known sound coming from the roof. She quickly climbed up the ladder and opened the skylight right before Chat Noir was able to tap on it. He jumped back in surprise. “Hello Chat, long time no see.” She looked at him and let herself fall onto her bed.

“H-hello, Princess.” He looked at her from above. “Can I come in? I could pawssibly get frostbite out here.” He smirked at the pun and waited for her reaction.

Marinette rolled her eyes and turned away from him. “Close the skylight when you get down here.”

He descended into the room and sat next to her on the bed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Is everything okay, Marinette?”

“I... I don’t know... I made a fool of myself today.” She sobbed quietly.

“What happened?” Of course he knew what had happened but he didn’t want Marinette to know his identity yet.

“Remember the boy I told you about?” He nodded. “He kind of told me he admires me while he held my hands and I was panicking and ran away.”

“I thought you like him. Why did you run away; wasn’t that all you wanted?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I don’t know anything anymore.”

Her words hit him right in the heart. “I really thought you liked him.” He murmured sadly. She turned around to face him and he could see a tear running down her cheek. He gently wiped it away, careful not to hurt her with his claw and lied down next to her. “Why don’t you know?”

She burrowed her face in her hands as she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. She felt his arms pulling her towards him and holding her tight. She gave in to the hug and enjoyed the warmth radiating off his body. After a while she pushed herself a teeny bit away from him so she could breathe freely again. “I’ve known him for a while now and he never noticed me until now.”

He loosened his arms around her and looked into her eyes. _Her eyes are gorgeous even when she cries. I could lose myself in them every time I look at her._ “I guess he just needed time to see how wonderful you really are. But that still doesn’t explain why you ran away from him. Did he do something wrong?”

“No, he didn’t. I just don’t understand why he just noticed me now. I have liked him all this time and now that I...” Her voice died off as she realized what she was going to say. _Be brave. You can do this._ “I really enjoy your company and the way you make me smile and I... I kind of like you, too, I think.” She felt all her muscles tense, afraid of his reaction.

His heart skipped a beat at her words. _She likes both sides of me._ He embraced her once again, kissing her forehead and felt her relax. “You know, I always thought I loved Ladybug, but when I got to know you better I realized that you make me feel like I belong.” He hoped she wouldn’t notice how much he was blushing. “However, I can feel that you really like that boy. Please do me a favor and don’t run away from him the next time he tries to get closer to you. Maybe he likes you, too, after all.”

 Marinette suddenly felt dizzy from all the feelings and thoughts inside of her. She couldn’t put any of it into words, but:  _If he likes me too, why does he want me to give Adrien a chance?_ “Aren’t you jealous or something?”

He realized his mistake. Marinette didn’t know he was Adrien, so he had to come up with an explanation why he wasn’t jealous. _ASAP! Think of something!_ He scratched his neck until he found something to say. “I want my princess to be happy. You deserve nothing less than the best for you. And if you want him, I’ll be honestly happy for you, too.”

“Thank you, Chat.” She huddled against his chest and sighed calmly. She felt his arms around her hugging her tightly and relished in the feeling of being cared for and safe in his arms.

Eventually she turned to look out of her skylight. _WHAAAAT?! It’s dark already? How long have we been talking?_ “Ummm Chat, I think it’s getting late and I still have homework to do...”

He groaned quietly and took his staff to look at the integrated clock. “You are right, Marinette. I’m sorry I kept you from doing homework.” He reluctantly got up and opened the skylight, the cold air rushing down into the room.  _Damn, I just started to really enjoy it._

She got up as well, her eyes following Chat as he hoisted himself onto the balcony. “Chat!” He turned around, slightly surprised. “Will you come back tomorrow?”

“I will come back every day if you want me to, my purrrrincess.” He saw her face lighten up again; she even smiled at him now. Chat Noir smirked. _Mission accomplished._


	12. So sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song “why not” by Hilary Duff

Marinette stretched. She had just finished her homework and was getting ready for bedtime.

“Tikki, I never thought Chat would be so insightful and selfless.”

“I know, I never thought of him like that, as well. He must really like you if he lets you go so you can be happy.”

She plopped down on her bed and pulled up the blanket. “He seems to be quite the gentleman. How was I thinking I know him as Ladybug when I only now see the way he really is?”

“Usually, when you are Ladybug, you have something way more important to worry about than Chat’s personality. It’s okay you didn’t notice before.” The kwami settled on the pillow next to Marinette’s head and yawned. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Marinette giggled. “Oh Tikki, I’m so lucky to have you.” She gave her kwami a peck on the cheek, turned off the light and closed her eyes.

*Beep beep*

She opened her eyes and grabbed her phone to turn off the alarm. Then she packed her bag, put on her clothes and went downstairs for breakfast. Sabine had prepared a heavenly croissant and a cup of hot coffee for her daughter before going back to work in the bakery. After eating the croissant, she poured the coffee into her thermos mug and left for school greeting her parents on her way outside.

“Marinette, dear!” She stopped at the sound of her father’s voice. “Can you help us out after school today?”

“Of course, Papa!” She answered and made her way to school.

Alya was already waiting for her outside with a worried expression on her face. “Girl, why did you run away yesterday? Initially I wanted to call you but Nino convinced me that you would call me if you wanted to talk so we continued making ou-” She blushed. “Err anyway, Adrien was talking to you and you just ran away. What is wrong with you?” She said, jokingly.

“I just thought it was too good to be true and my legs were getting numb and my mouth was dry and I couldn’t think and he was so close and he held my hands and his eyes were sparkling - you know when people talk about something they really really like their eyes just lighten up - and I felt like passing out and I’m rambling again, aren’t I?” Marinette lowered her head and looked at the floor shyly.

“Girl, if you don’t get yourself together around him you will miss out on any chance he might give you.”

“I know, Alya. I just never thought he would notice me.”

The school bell rang and they went into the classroom to take their seats. Marinette felt Adrien staring at her but tried her best not to become flustered this time. She had made a promise to Chat not to run away from Adrien again and she was keen to keep that promise. During class she took notes and paid attention, aware of the fact that Adrien turned around to look and smile at her at any given opportunity. She simply smiled back, trying not to freak out.

“Hey, Marinette.” He said when they got up as class was over. _Good start. Now what do I say to keep up the conversation?_  Everyone else already left so they were alone. He got nervous and scratched his neck.

“H-hi, Adrien. I’m so sorry for running away yesterday. I didn’t know how to deal with the sudden affection.”

“No, Marinette, don’t apologize. I overdid holding your hands and getting too close to you. I’m the one who is sorry. I didn’t want to scare you.”

“How about we agree that both of us did something we shouldn’t have done and just forget about it.” She couldn’t believe that she was actually talking to Adrien in full sentences. _Maybe it helps me to see that he is just as nervous as I am_.

He smiled at her. “I guess I can do that. Friends?” He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it.

There was his hand, right in front of her. _I just have to take it._ She smiled back at him and shook his hand. “Friends!”

 _Okay, Adrien, it’s now or never. Just ask her already._ She hadn’t drawn away her hand yet, so he covered it with his other hand and looked into her eyes. “I was wondering if you want to be...” He stopped, still looking in her eyes. He could see a tiny flicker of hope in her eyes that reassured him. “Do you want to go out with me on Saturday?”

Her heartbeat accelerated until she couldn’t even make out one single beat but a rapid throb in her ears. “S-Saturday? That’s Valentine’s Day.”

“Um, yeah.” He blushed. “I totally understand if you don’t want to or if you already have something planned. I just... really like you and thought that maybe you do, too.”

_Say yes, Marinette, this is everything you ever wanted. - But what about the Hoodie I made for Chat Noir?  -You can probably give it to him another time, TAKE! THIS! CHANCE!_

“I’d like to. What do you have in mind?”

“Let’s say it will be a surprise.” He smirked and saw a hint of recognition in Marinette’s eyes. _DON’T BLOW THE SECRET JUST YET!_ He reminded himself and softened his expression into a smile. “I will pick you up at the bakery, at 4 p.m. okay?”

“Okay, I’ll be ready.” She suppressed an excited squeak and turned away to pick up her bag. “Speaking of the bakery, I have to help my parents today. I’ll see you tomorrow!” She forced herself to calmly walk out of the room so Adrien wouldn’t get the impression that she was running away again.

A few minutes later, she entered the bakery and greeted her Parents. “I’ll just put my bag in my room and change clothes, then I will be back to help you.”

After working in the bakery for three hours, she went upstairs to have dinner and make her homework. Plus, she wanted to talk to Tikki. She closed the trapdoor and Tikki came out of her hiding place.

“Tikki, I still can’t believe that ADRIEN AGRESTE ASKED ME OUT FOR VALENTINE’S DAY!” She finally let the squeak escape her body after hours of holding it in.

“It was soooooo sweet how he asked you. I’m so happy for you.”

“He obviously has a truly romantic side to him.” She sighed, smiling happily.

“I’m proud of you. You really took the chance and said yes!”

“Oh my god, Tikki, this is the best day of my life!” She looked around in her room and saw her schoolbag waiting for her in the corner. “But I still need to make my homework.” She said a lot less enthusiastically, followed by a groan.


	13. Everything to me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song “if I could tell her” from the musical “Dear Evan Hansen”

Adrien was too busy planning his Valentine’s Day date with Marinette and he forgot to visit her as Chat Noir that evening. He only remembered when he saw Marinette approaching school Thursday morning.  _Shit. How do I explain this to her? I promised her to come back. I should probably apologize tonight... Wow, she is so lovely with her cute bag on her back and light steps, it almost seems like she is floating. Her lips look so soft and her smile is the most adorable smile I’ve ever seen. And her voice is so endearing and perfect. Oh - OH, she’s talking to me!_

“Um, could you repeat that? I was kind of absorbed in thoughts.”

Marinette smiled at him and recurred. “Hello Adrien, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m great, now that you’re here.” He blushed. _Damn, she must think I’m a total dork. This is so embarrassing. Why can’t I think straight?_ “Anyway, how are you?”

She smothered a laugh and chuckled instead. _He is so cute when he is shy._ “I’m really happy to see you. I’m kind of exhilarated about Saturday. I never had a date before and I’m really nervous and why the hell am I telling you this?” She turned away slightly to hide her embarrassment.

He stepped a little closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Marinette, you don’t have to be nervous at all. And believe me, I’m very nervous myself. Just be yourself, okay?”

“Okay.” She let out a breath and smiled at him again. “Let’s go inside, class is almost starting.

Adrien followed her into the classroom and sat down, glancing at her every now and then. _She is so endlessly beautiful. The way she squints her eyes when she tries to concentrate, her cute little nose and her bright blue eyes, wide like the ocean... I could drown in them..._

“Adrien, I know that Marinette is cute as hell but we’re in the middle of class. You can’t just turn around to stare at her.” Adrien’s face turned bright red at the sound of Nino whispering to him. _Control yourself, Agreste!_  He glanced over to Marinette once again but she seemed to not have noticed him staring at her. _GOOD. Fortune favors fools._

He forced himself to focus on the lesson until school was over. He quickly said goodbye to his friends and darted off to the car. He had a tight agenda today; his father had scheduled another photoshoot for him at 3 p.m. and it was already 2:45. It took half an eternity and Adrien became more and more hungry. When it was finally over, he decided to get something to eat from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

“Hey, Adrien!” Marinette smiled at him as soon as he opened the door. She was standing behind the counter, serving the customer in front of the line.

Adrien smiled back at her and waited in line. He peered at her dreamily and almost didn’t notice when it was his turn.

“What is your order?” She tried to sound as professional as she could; this was her parent’s business after all.

“Is there anything you can recommend? I’m really hungry.” Adrien asked, touching his stomach.

“Ummm... My dad makes the best quiche Lorraine in all of Paris. Do you want some?”

“That sounds great. Thank you, Marinette.” He took the piece of quiche, paid for it and left. He still had a lot to plan for Valentine’s Day. When he got home he ate the quiche at the desk in his room, savoring every bite of it.

“Did you think about how you want to reveal your identity to her yet, kid?”

“I just can’t think of a way that is even close to as immaculate as she is. She deserves a perfect day.”

“You know that you only have one full day left, right?”

“I know, Plagg, you are not really helpful.” He brooded over it for the rest of the evening until he noticed it was already late. Or early. It was 1 in the morning. _FUCK! I wanted to visit her as Chat today to apologize for not coming over yesterday. Now it’s too late, she is probably sleeping._

He took out some plain paper and wrote a letter to her. “Plagg, claws out!” He exclaimed after he had finished the letter, put it in an envelope and closed it. Chat Noir jumped into the night, heading for Marinette’s house with the letter in his hand. He stopped at the park to pick some snowdrops and gently tied them together with a blade of grass. When he landed on her balcony, he looked through the window into her room. She was sleeping, just as he had expected. He carefully placed the letter and the flowers on the table in the middle of the balcony, weighing it down with the small stone he had found by the seine almost a week before. _I knew it would be useful_.

Once more, he looked at Marinette through the skylight - she looked like an angel smiling in her sleep - before leaving and going to bed.

Marinette woke up the next morning. She was still tired because she had stayed up late last night waiting for Chat Noir who hadn’t come after all. When she went to bed and finally fell asleep, she somehow had the feeling that someone was looking at her from above but now she thought that it had only been a dream. Nevertheless, she felt the urge to go up to her balcony and look for traces. She found a letter, weighed down with a cat-shaped stone and some beautiful snowdrops on the table. She opened the letter to read it.

 

 

 

> My Purrrrrincess,
> 
> I’m really sorry for not visiting you yesterday and the day before.
> 
> I stumbled across your classmate, the one who sits in front of you. He is very nice and I understand why you like him that much. When I told him that I know you he asked me to help him prepare something for you. Being the selfless cat that I am, I agreed and helped him the last two afternoons.
> 
> He also asked me to deliver a message to you. Well, that’s not really the truth. Actually, he lost a piece of paper which had a little poem for you written on it. But I think he would want you to read it.
> 
> Prepare yourself; this is going to be the most adorable thing you have ever read from me. Technically, he wrote this but you know what I mean.
> 
>  
> 
> _There’s nothing like your smile, sort of subtle and perfect and real._  
>  _You never knew how wonderful that smile could make someone feel._  
>  _If I could tell her, tell her everything I see._  
>  _If I could tell her, how she's everything to me._  
>  _I don't know how I would even start._
> 
>  
> 
> If you ask me, he’s head over heels for you.
> 
> Don’t worry about me; remember, as long as you are happy, I’m happy, too.


	14. What we choose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so it's getting closer and closer to Valentine's Day, I guess it will be 3 or 4 more chapters until my first fanfic is finished.  
> Feel free to leave comments and correct any of my mistakes :)
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “fools” by Lauren Aquilina

“Tikki, what should I do?” Marinette folded the letter and put it back into the envelope. She took everything down into her room, putting the flowers in a small vase and setting them on her desk. Tikki watched her quietly from the middle of the room, clearly sensing her agitation.

“Marinette, he wants you to be happy. He obviously approves of Adrien to be the one to make you happy. You’ve been in love with Adrien for so long, give him a chance.”

Marinette stuffed the books into her bag and puts on clothes for the day. “I don’t know, Tikki, what if Chat only pretends to be okay with it? I’m scared to break his heart. He is such a good friend and I’m still not sure whether I like him only as a friend or if there’s more. What if Adrien finds out I’m Ladybug and tells Chat Noir. He will never trust me again.” She stops moving abruptly, blatantly shocked at the thought.

“Don’t meet trouble halfway, Marinette. Even if Adrien finds out about your secret identity, I don’t think he would blow it and you know that. We can trust him.”

“I know. I suppose I’m just scared. I don’t want to hurt any of them and I don’t want to lose them either... Anyway, let’s go to school, or else I will be late again.” Tikki flew into her purse and Marinette bolted out of the house, omitting her breakfast. At school, she stared at the back of Adrien’s head, just as usual. She could tell that he was tired from the way he let his shoulders hang down, resting his head on one hand to stop it from tipping over or hitting the desk when he fell asleep.

_Poor Adrien. Why is he so exhausted? It can’t be just because he is planning our date, can it? He must be taking this really seriously. What if he is planning THE PERFECT DATE? I’m unprepared and I’m soooo clumsy, I could ruin it all in just a second, tripping over my feet and landing in a dirty puddle or worse yet falling onto Adrien, pushing him into a dirty puddle._

Alya, nudging her elbow, stared at her inquiringly. She smiled at her best friend and forced herself to focus on the lesson again, not having noticed that it was already over.

“Girl, are you okay?” She asked when they were leaving the classroom. Adrien had already left in a hurry.

“Sure, Alya, I was just thinking.”

“Let me guess, you were thinking about Adrien. Speaking of which, have you noticed how tired he has been recently?” She looked at her best friend and laughed. “Of course you noticed, you constantly stare at him. Nino, do you know why he is that tired?”

“Nope, no idea!” Nino turned around and looked at her. “Maybe it’s because Valentine’s Day is coming up. You know how much effort boys put into their Valentine’s date.” He blinked at Alya, earning a snort accompanied by a roll of her eyes, intimidating him slightly. “I hope we’re still on for tomorrow?”

“Of course we are, dummy!” She laughed and blew him a kiss. She turned back to Marinette, who tried to hide behind her bag. Alya put her hand on it and pushed it down, revealing a full-on red face. “Okay Marinette. Do you know something about that?”

“I um... Well... Nino might be right. I think Adrien is that tired because he is working hard to prepare a Valentine’s Day date. Being the perfectionist he is I guess it takes him a lot of effort to plan every tiny little detail to make it perfect.”

“Do you think Adrien has a special someone? Wait, how can you talk so calmly about Adrien preparing a date?! Don’t you want to know who she is? It should be you!”

“It IS me.” She said, not daring to look at her best friend. They were walking down the street towards Marinette’s house.

“It is WHAT?!” Alya stopped abruptly. “When did he ask you? And more importantly, why didn’t you tell me?” She squealed and gripped Marinette’s shoulders, shaking her. “You have to tell me everything!”

“Alya, it’s not that big of a deal, he just asked me and I said yes.” She saw her best friend’s eyes widen in surprise.

“NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL??? You have been pining for him since the second day you met him and now he asked you out to be his VALENTINE AND YOU SAY IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL?!”

“Alya, calm down, please. I don’t want everyone to know about my crush on him.”

“Okay, sorry, Marinette.” They moved on and Marinette told her about Wednesday, how he had apologized for overtaxing her, how she had apologized for running away and how he had asked her out. When they arrived at the bakery, Alya decided to go home and leave Marinette to prepare for their respective dates the next day. “Call me afterwards, I want to know EVERYTHING.” Alya cracked a smile at her and waved goodbye.

“Bye, Alya!”

She entered the building and went upstairs. Her mother was in the kitchen, preparing lunch for the family while her father was taking care of the bakery. After all, lunchtime was quite busy given that they sold warm pastries, tartes and quiches. “Marinette, sit down and eat something, you didn’t have breakfast today. When we’re finished I will displace Tom so he can have lunch as well.”

They quickly ate and when Sabine went downstairs to the bakery, Marinette went upstairs to her room. She closed the trapdoor and went to her desk. There was not a lot of homework to do, so she decided to make it right away. It only took her half an hour until she was finished. She stretched, looking around and her eyes locked on the cat-shaped stone.

It was black and cold to the touch and Marinette looked at it closely. _It really looks like a cat. I wonder if he found it like that or if he shaped it himself._ She took it in her hands and noticed that the shape felt too natural to be made by human hands. “Tikki, I still don’t know what to do.” She said, without looking up from the little cat in her hand.

“Go on that date tomorrow. I’m sure it will be fun.”

“Yeah, I suppose. But what if I want Chat more than Adrien? Adrien will be disappointed and I ruin the date.”

“Do you like Chat more than Adrien?”

She fidgeted with the stone to keep her hands busy before burying her head in them. “No. Yes. I don’t know. I kind of like both of them equally. Who do I choose?”

“I can’t really help you with that, Marinette. I’m afraid you have to figure this out by yourself.”

She gazed into the room absentmindedly. “I hope Chat will come today.” She said after a while.

“I’m sure he-” Tikki was interrupted by a tapping on the skylight. “Well, I guess he’s already here.” She hid in Marinette’s purse while Marinette climbed up the ladder and opened the skylight.


	15. Let you in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song “if I told you” by Jason Walker

Adrien had returned to his room only a short time after he had left it, but it was already 2 in the morning and he was exhausted. He quickly closed the window so he wouldn’t freeze in the cold night air. He fell on his bed after releasing his transformation and instantly fell asleep.

The next morning he woke up still tired. He put on his clothes and looked around his room to find Plagg. He finally discovered him in a big, empty box of camembert that had been full before he fell asleep. Adrien groaned and picked up his kwami, shaking him slightly. “Wake up, Plagg! We have to go to school.”

“Give me five more minutes, kid.” He complained, yawning.

“No, Plagg, we have to go now. Hurry!”

The kwami hid in his open shirt and Adrien left the room. The gorilla was already waiting in the car for him. He would never understand why his father demanded for him to be driven to school most days despite living close to it. _Seriously, it’s not even a 10 minute walk!_

He was dropped off in front of the school and decided to wait inside for Nino. When he finally arrived, he instantly began talking to him about his valentine’s date, but Adrien was not able to pay attention. His eyes felt heavy and he constantly stifled a yawn. He didn’t want to be rude but he was too tired to function properly.

“And then I want to take her to- Adrien? Dude, are you even listening?”

“Huh?” He pulled up his head from his desk, holding his nose. Apparently, he had fallen asleep and his head just smashed onto the desk. _Note for self: always prop up your head with your hands when you’re tired, or else you might hurt your nose._ “Nino, I’m so sorry.” he twanged. “I’m awfully tired.”

“Dude, what happened to you? I’ve never seen you this tired before.”

“Don’t worry, Nino. It’s just... I’ve been planning something absolutely amazing for tomorrow.” He lifted his hand up between them knowing exactly what Nino would say. “Don’t even bother asking for details, I’m not going to tell you more.”

“Okay, okay. Whatever.” Nino gave in and grinned at him. “But you should sleep tonight or else you will doze off during your date tomorrow.”

“I know, but there’s so much to prepare.” He leaned his head to the left and supported it with his hand. His eyes fell closed again and he didn’t notice Marinette and Alya walk in. Luckily, he opened his eyes just before the teacher walked in right behind them.

Usually, he liked mathematics, but today he was not really paying attention. Plus, the teacher explained linear systems of equation, which he had already learnt at home before he went to school. So in fact he didn’t even need to focus on the lesson.

As he tried to stay awake by all means, he wandered off into his thoughts. _Tomorrow is going to be a VERY important day. I hope I don’t screw this up. And I hope she won’t hate me for lying to her. She hates liars._ _Oh nonoNONONO!!! I should have told her from the beginning. What will she think of me afterwards? But I don’t want to lie to her ever again. I’ll let down my mask and just hope for the best. Yes, that sounds good._

_I hope it won’t change her feelings towards me, both sides of me. Speaking of which, I still have to visit her tonight as Chat. And probably explain why I’m totally okay with her dating someone else. If Plagg had told me it would be that complicated if I fell in love, I would rather not be in love. Actually, no. It feels good to love her. She is everything I need. She is loving and kind and beautiful and gentle and smart and she is so... Marinette._

“Dude, what?”

“Huh?”

“You whispered Marinette’s name.”

“I what?” _FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!_ His face turned red and he looked around the room to see if anybody else than Nino had heard him. _Phew. That was close._

“It’s okay, dude, no one heard it. You’re safe. But now you will have to tell me one thing. Is it Marinette you are preparing that big, mysterious date for?”

Adrien silently nodded, attempting to hide his red head in the collar of his shirt. It had suddenly become unbearably hot in the classroom. He tried to calm down, force the blush away from his face and breathe steadily.

Once school was over and he returned home, he quickly ate lunch and entered his room, closing and locking his door.

“Plagg, we’re going to visit Marinette.”

“No.” He crossed his tiny arms over his chest.

“No? Why not?”

“I’m refusing”

“Plagg, you little...” Adrien was extremely surprised; he never thought a kwami would be able to refuse.  He slowly breathed in and out to settle himself. “Why are you refusing?”

“I want cheese.”

“Can you for once think about something else than cheese?” He got up, unlocked the door and headed to the kitchen in order to get cheese for his kwami. “There you go.” Adrien tossed the cheese at Plagg after returning and locking the door once again. “Are you happy now?”

“Nah. But it’s ok. We can go when I’ve finished this gorgeous, mouthwatering piece of camembert.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and sat on the corner of his bed, impatiently waiting for Plagg to get ready, repeatedly tapping his foot on the floor. He got up as soon as Plagg had swallowed the last bit of cheese. “Plagg, claws out!” A green flash of light illuminated the room for a second and Chat leaped out through the open window. It didn’t take him long to get to Marinette’s balcony and he landed smoothly on his feet. The letter and flowers weren’t there anymore. _Good,_ he thought. _She found it._ He approached the skylight and looked in but he couldn’t see more than her bed from this angle. Chat knelt down hoping he would be able to see more, but it was impossible. He gave up and just tapped on the skylight.


	16. What's inside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'll split Valentine's Day in two chapters, so there will be only two more.
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “gotta figure this out” by Erin McCarley

“Hello, Chat.” She offered him a shy smile, moving away so he could enter her room. She descended the ladder and got back to her desk to retrieve the stone. She smiled as she held it in her hand, turning to face Chat Noir who had followed her silently.

“Hello, purrrrincess.” Noticing the rock in her hand, he smirked at her. “I guess you have found my letter?”

“It was the first thing I did this morning. During the night I had the feeling someone was watching me so when I woke up I decided to investigate and found it.” She fumbled the stone nervously, avoiding looking at him.

Chat instantly noticed her uneasiness. “Marinette? What’s wrong?” Had he made a mistake? _Maybe I shouldn’t have written the letter. Or maybe..._ “Are you mad at me for not visiting you?”

She stared at the tiny black cat in her hand. “No, Chat, it’s just... I don’t understand why you are not jealous at all.” She took a deep breath and forced her eyes to look at him. “On Tuesday you told me that you have feelings for me and now it seems like you just brushed it off and you even help Adrien plan something for me.”

He took a step towards her, leaving only few centimeters between them. “Princess, I am your friend and I sincerely want you to be happy. Adrien is a very nice boy, he really loves you and I know you love him as well.” He nudged her nose and smiled, although she didn’t react.

“I do, and I really appreciate that you want me to be happy, but what if I’m not happy with him? The more time I spent with you, the more I noticed that you make me happy. And I realized I don’t really know anything about Adrien.” She grasped her pigtails and tugged at them, groaning as she still didn’t comprehend. “Why are you helping your rival?”

Chat took her hands, afraid she would rip out her beautiful, soft hair. “Mari, you are overthinking this. You know so much more about him than you think. Just give him a chance, okay?” How was he supposed to explain it to her, without ruining the surprise? _Apropos surprise, I still have to come up with an idea about how I tell her. Maybe I could just show up as Chat Noir and hope for the best? No, that would DEFINITELY make her mad and she would leave and never talk to me again._

“Chat? Are you still in there?” Marinette clicked her fingers in front of his face. He had been staring right through her and she was certain that he was even holding his breath.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I drifted away into thinking about what he has planned for you.” Technically, this was the truth. He focused his gaze on her eyes once again, still gently holding her hands in his. “I think it will be pawesome! He went all out for you. We spent an almost excessive amount of time planning the date; we even worked through the night.”

Marinette was dumbfounded by the enthusiasm in his voice; his wide, cat-like green eyes were sparkling with anticipation. “Why are you that excited about me dating someone else? I just don’t understand and you’re not even trying to explain it to me. Chat, please.”

He furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. He hadn’t thought about how much all of this would confuse her, as Adrien and as Chat. _What do I say now? It’s not fair to lie to her._ What he came up with wasn’t exactly satisfactory for her, he knew that, but he couldn’t tell her the truth yet. “I can’t explain it. I know this seems strange to you now, but I promise you will understand tomorrow. Okay?”

“I guess I’ll have to wait, then.” Marinette resigned, sighing. If she had to wait for the next day to understand it, she shouldn’t think more about it now. “Will you visit me tomorrow before the date? I made something for you and I think I will need you to not freak out.”

“You made something for me?” Chat’s eyes widened, he hadn’t expected her to make him anything. “Unfortunately, I can’t come tomorrow. I really would like to but...” _How do I put this?_  “I already promised Adrien to help him. He tends to get extremely nervous and needs my support.”

Her eyes dropped, slightly disappointed but after a moment and a deep breath to regain her confidence, she turned around and opened her closet. She uncased the hoodie, pausing for a second. “Close your eyes.” She didn’t have to look at him to know that he did as she ordered, she trusted him, after all. Marinette put the hoodie on her desk and, grabbing the remaining piece of golden cord she hadn’t used, she neatly tied a bow around it. She turned around and approached Chat, his eyes still closed shut, patiently waiting. “You can open your eyes now.”

He instantly opened his eyes to see her holding something in her hands. “What is this?” He was curious and as Marinette handed it to him, he carefully untied the bow and unfolded it. The fabric was soft and the colors... The colors were wonderful. They matched his eyes, his hair, his suit, his bell and everything about him. He impatiently put it on and immediately felt cozier and more comfortable than before. “I love it! It’s purrrfect.” Indeed, it was perfect, not only because it was made by HER, but also because now he knew how he would reveal himself to her.

She watched him amusedly, his expression changing from curiosity to ecstasy in a wink of an eye. “I made it for you after you came by to warm up last week. I’m happy you like it. Now you won’t feel cold when you’re outside in the winter.”

“So my purrrrincess doesn’t want me to visit her to warm me up anymore?” He pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m always excited about seeing you. I just don’t want you to get sick or freeze someday.”

He wasn’t able to hold his expression much longer. He started laughing and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. “Thank you, Mari.” He whispered in her ear.

The embrace took her by surprise but she gave in to it, closing her eyes. When he hugged her even tighter, she slowly pushed him back, smiling. “Chat, you’re suffocating me!” She exclaimed, before finally breathing again.

“I’m sorry, I just got so excited. I can’t help it; this is the best present I ever got.” He stepped back, glancing outside. “Um, Mari, did you notice it’s already evening?”

She looked out of the window, all the light of the day had gone, only the lights of cars and street lamps illuminating the city. “Well, it’s February, so the sun sets early. I don’t think it’s that late.” She took her phone out of her pocket, jaw dropping when she saw the clock on it. “Okay, never mind. It’s quite late already. Mom is probably waiting for me to get down for dinner any time soon.”

“I should leave, I guess. Thank you so much for the hoodie, I really love it.” He took her hand once again, pressing his lips against her knuckles. “I hope you enjoy your date tomorrow. I have the feline you will.” He smirked at her one last time before going up the ladder and leaving through the skylight.


	17. I know a place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, only one chapter left after this one. I hope you enjoy. The artworks I added for the last chapter and this one were made by me :P
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by the song “take you there” by the Plain White T’s

Adrien plopped onto his bed, Plagg floating next to his face. He had stayed outside on the roofs of Paris for other two or three hours until he went home. The hoodie she had sewn for him was really comfy and did an excellent job at keeping him warm. He had taken it off before detransforming and was now holding it up against his chest. It smelled like her so he pretended it was her he was holding in his arms.

“Plagg, do you think she will enjoy our date tomorrow?”

“I don’t care. I already told you I’m not interested in love or whatever, kid. I want cheese and that’s the only thing I need.”

“You are such a grumpy little cat.” Adrien hissed at his kwami only to see him rolling his eyes. “Okay, I’ll get you some.” He gently placed the hoodie beside him and stood up to give Plagg his cheese. “You are not helpful. Can’t you at least try to be?”

“Nope.” He said, munching his camembert and leaving a mess of crumbs around him. “It’s not my job to help you with your feelings. It’s my job to make sure you can help Ladybug fight the akumas Hawkmoth releases.”

At the sound of her name Adrien realized he hadn’t thought about her the last days. He hadn’t seen her since the last akuma attack and he was fine with it. As long as everyone was safe, there was no reason why Chat Noir and Ladybug should meet. Adrien himself had messed up last Thursday when she suddenly had been in his room and now he was surprised he had come to terms with not seeing her.

It seemed like Marinette had won Ladybug’s place in his heart within only a few days. He had always been curious about her but never thought she would like him as she didn’t even talk to him. But when she told Chat about that boy sitting in front of her in class, he realized that she didn’t talk to him because she was nervous. Because she thought he was out of her league. _How could she think she is out of my league? She is so much better than me._

“Marinette is wonderful, don’t you think?”

Plagg grunted. “Why do you keep talking to me about this emotional nonsense?” He looked at love-struck Adrien and sighed, giving up his resistance. “I suppose she is. She really seems to like you. And Chat, for that matter. I can’t think of a reason why she shouldn’t enjoy your date tomorrow.”

Adrien looked at Plagg, eyes wide open. He was taken aback by his sudden change in behavior, but decided whether or not to comment on it. “Thank you, Plagg." After a quick glance at the clock, he changed into his pajama, brushed his teeth and went to bed, Plagg nestling down in the pillow next to his head.

They woke up early on Saturday morning, just as he had planned. He put on clean clothes and went to the kitchen. The chef was already there, preparing breakfast. Adrien had never actually talked to him, as he normally stayed in the kitchen and Adrien was not allowed to enter any time he wanted to.

On Tuesday, he had asked him if he could try to make puits d’amour for Valentine’s Day. The chef had been excited yet objected to Adrien making a recipe that asked for puff pastry from scratch, so they agreed that he would prepare it for him. After settling on a recipe, the chef ordered all the ingredients Adrien needed, as well as another apron.

Upon entering the kitchen, he greeted the chef and put on the apron he was holding out for him. The ingredients were already placed on the countertop next to the open recipe book, Adrien only had to weigh and portion them. He wanted to do this by himself, although he knew that anything he could bake could never measure up with all the good things Marinette’s parents made in their bakery.

Following the recipe, Adrien didn’t have any problems and after about four hours he finally sat down to breathe for a moment, contemplating his puits d’amour. They weren’t perfect, but he was proud of himself. He put them into a basket, along with other baked goods and fruits the chef had prepared,  and set it on a shelf in the walk-in refrigerator next to the kitchen.

After a quick lunch, he decided to prepare himself for the date. He was excited and nervous and the fact that it was already 1:30 didn’t help him calm down. He had asked her to be ready at 4. _I have two and a half hours left. That’s only 150 minutes! Oh my god, I still have to shower and style my hair and put on the suit and prepare everything and ohmygodI’mrunningoutoftime!_ Standing in his room, he panicked.

“Chill, kid. You have plenty time left.” Plagg rolled his eyes, sighing with ostentation. “It’s no use freaking out now.”

The oddly calm and reassuring voice of his kwami settled Adrien enough to refocus. He took the basket out of the refrigerator and put the hoodie in it, covering it with a few blankets. _Okay, I think I have everything._

“Plagg, claws out!” Basket in his hands, Chat jumped out of the window and went to the pont d’Iéna where he had found the cat-shaped stone one week earlier. He hid the basket under the bridge and went home to take a shower and get ready.

He arrived at the bakery just before 4 and went inside to greet Marinette’s parents. The way they looked at him made him even more nervous than he already was.

“Hello Mr. Dupain, hello Mrs. Cheng.” He tried to smile confidently but the sheer size of Marinette’s father intimidated him.

“Hello Adrien, Marinette will be ready soon.” Glancing over to her husband, Sabine put her hand on his arms to pull him back a little. “Tom, you are scaring him.”

“Good, that is what I had planned.” He looked at his wife who patted his hand indicating him to calm down. He sighed. “Okay. I’m sorry for scaring you. I’m sure you will look after my daughter at your date.” He stepped closer to Adrien, raising his right index finger in front of his face. “If you hurt her, I promise you will not be happy again.”

Adrien gulped at his words. He was clearly threatening him, but he somehow admired Tom’s parental care. _I would love to have a father who cares that much about me._ “I would never dare to hurt Marinette. She means too much to me.” He said sincerely.

“Papa, seriously?” Marinette had entered the bakery and noticed her father threatening Adrien. Tom’s gaze softened, a content smile forming in his face. He lowered his hand and stepped back. “Maman, why did you let him do this?”

“I’m sorry, dear. I tried, but you know how protective he is of you.”

She flashed Tom a disapproving glance before smiling at Adrien. “I’m so sorry, Adrien. My father is kind of overprotective.”

 _She is stunning._ Adrien looked at her, taking in every little detail his eyes focused on. She wore a lovely knee-length dress with a narrow black band tied around her waist and black leggings underneath. It was made out of a lightweight, red wool fabric with a band of black lace fabric right above her knees. _She must have designed it herself, it’s perfect._

Her hair was styled up into a bun, held in place with two red barrettes. Her earrings were the same she was always wearing, but their dark red matched the outfit perfectly. A small purse, made from the same fabric as her dress, was hanging from her shoulder.

He felt a tiny paw poking at his chest and realized he had been staring at Marinette, mouth open. He tore his gaze away and smiled at her.

“You look gorgeous.” Was all he was able to say, still speechless, taking in her beauty.

Marinette giggled, blushing until her face matched the color of her dress. “Oh stop it, Adrien. You’re a model. You look great all the time.”

His cheeks went red at her compliment. “I really mean it, Marinette. You look perfect.” He took her hand in his, glancing over at her parents who nodded. “Shall we go?”

“Sure.” She wasn’t able to say more because _ADRIEN AGRESTE IS HOLDING MY HAND!_ They stepped outside and walked towards the Eiffel tower. “Where are we going?”

Adrien smiled and winked at her. “I know a place that is only slightly less perfect than you. Let me take you there.” Yes, he was recklessly complimenting her and he was totally okay with that.


	18. Meant to be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song “I see the light” from the movie “tangled”

Adrien took her hand in his, guiding her across the street towards the Seine. Plagg was nestled against his chest in the front pocket of his shirt. He was thankful for even this tiny bit of reassurance from his kwami. He was nervous. He hadn’t been able to say a word let alone form a full sentence during their walk to the pont d’Iéna. All this time he had been pursuing his crush on Ladybug, not even realizing how sweet and kind his classmate Marinette was. _Why didn’t I notice her earlier? How could I be so blind?_ When they finally reached the bridge, he took a deep breath to prepare himself and gather all his courage. He had decided to reveal himself right in the beginning of their date, to stop lying to the nicest and most beautiful girl he knew. He slowly exhaled, turned to Mari and cleared his throat.

“Mari, I prepared something for you. I hope you will like it but if you don’t, please tell me the truth and don’t hold off. I will understand if you don’t like it.”

Marinette was surprised at his words. She looked up into his eyes, recognizing a spark of nervousness - _and fear?_ _What could he have prepared for me if he is that unsure as to whether I like it?_ She smiled encouragingly and lightly squeezed his hand.

“I can’t think of anything you could have prepared for me that I wouldn’t like. Don’t worry, Adrien.”

_Wow, that was a full sentence, without stammering or skipping and it even made sense! Good, keep up this teeny little bit of confidence around him._

_She really is the kindest person on earth._ “Close your eyes and wait a moment, okay?”

Adrien went under the bridge, retrieving his basket. He took out one of the blankets and spread them out on the grass. Then, he placed the food, including his puits d’amour, in the middle of it. He had taken out the hoodie and thought about putting it on, but he was too scared she would hate him for having lied to her that long. He put it back into the basket, hiding it under the second blanket and returned to Marinette who was patiently waiting with her eyes closed. He took her hand again, turning her around gently.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Upon opening her eyes, Marinette saw the picnic he had prepared and couldn’t help a laugh escape her lips. “This is what you were that worried about? You actually thought I wouldn’t like a picnic?” She approached the blanket and sat down, looking at the goods he had brought. The fruits looked tasty and fresh and most of the baked goods looked even better than the ones her parents made in the bakery.

“Actually, the picnic is not what I’ve been worried about. Not quite, at least. It’s just...” He rubbed his neck with his left hand and followed her to the blanket, taking a seat right next to her. “I... I made these puits d’amour myself. It’s the first time I baked something and I know your parents are bakers so I know you might have quite a high standard and I honestly don’t know if they are good because I haven’t tasted them yet.” He ended, looking down at his hands, hoping Marinette wouldn’t see the blush creeping up on his face.

 _He really outdid himself for this date, Chat was right._ Marinette looked at the puits d’amour and took one from the plate. She carefully eyed it, turning it to look at it from all angles. “They look good.” She raised it to her nose to take a smell of it. “They smell sweet.” She glanced over to Adrien with a smirk. Without interrupting her gaze, she took a bite of the baked good, savoring it for a moment before swallowing it. “They taste perfect.” She concluded, holding the puit d’amour out to Adrien for him to taste it.

He closely watched every movement Marinette was making with the pastry, more and more relieved with every statement she made yet more and more turned on by her sweetness. He lifted his hand and reached out to take it from her hand, stopping right before touching it. He let his hand fall down onto the blanket and leaned in to take a bite. Ignoring the surprise in her eyes, he replied with his mouth full. “You are right, they are great.”

In response, Marinette lightly tapped his nose. “Silly kit...” She blushed instantly and turned away from him. _How could I mistake him for Chat? He will never forgive me. Or Chat. Chat helped him a lot with this date and now I ruined it. WHYAMISOAWKWARD?! He must think I like Chat more than him. At least that’s what I would think if it was the other way around. OH NO! I ruined everything!_

She suddenly felt his warm hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her around to face him. _No, I’m not ready to look at - WAIT!_

“How...? You...? Where did you...? What?”

Adrien was slightly shocked when she almost called him kitty. _Did she figure me out? No, she turns away, maybe she mixed it up. Well that means it’s now or never!_  With Marinette still turned around, unable to look at him, he quickly pulled the hoodie out of the basket and put it on. _Should I transform? Or would that be too much? No, I’ll better take this kind of slow. Well, it’s going quite fast but I don’t want to rush through it now._

He waited for a moment for Marinette to turn back around but she didn’t, so he reached out to her and turned her back to him. The confusion in her words was quite evidently plastered all over her face and her hands were gesturing wildly at him. He grabbed her wrists to help her calm down and looked at her with a warm smile.

“This was originally what I was worried about. For you to find out that-“

“That Chat gave you the hoodie I made for him? I thought he really liked it.” She crossed her hands in front of her chest, making an effort to keep her annoyance to herself. She had made the hoodie solely for Chat; he shouldn’t have given it to Adrien. Marinette carefully opened her purse and slid her finger inside and Tikki immediately hugged it in compassion. She felt betrayed and was getting more and more angry at Chat.

Adrien could tell that Marinette was struggling with the situation but he didn’t know how to help her without making it worse. _Should I tell her that Chat had borrowed me the hoodie because I forgot a warm jacket at home? Or maybe put my cards on the table and hope she won’t hate me?_ He settled for the latter and looked into her eyes.

“Mari, I really like the hoodie. And the person who gave it to me was you.”

“I gave the hoodie to Chat, why-“

“Exactly, you gave it to Chat. And in that moment, you gave it to me, princess.”

“But then... That means... You are... WAIT, Princess?!" She couldn’t believe it. "Chat?”. Adrien was Chat. Chat was Adrien. _So in reality, I tried to kiss Adrien yesterday?_ She backed off slightly as the realization sank in and tried to close her mouth but failed. _He has been there all the time, making those horrible puns and courting me? ADRIEN COURTED ME?!_

 _Damn, I fucked up. I so fucked up!_ “Mari, please don’t run away. I know you don’t like people lying to you and that’s why I don’t want to lie to you anymore. I’m so sorry, princess. I know I shouldn’t have confused you so much.”

“Mari, please say something.” He held her hand and slowly raised his other hand to turn her face towards him. “Anything. Please, Princess.”

Marinette thought about it one moment. This was everything she always wanted. She wasn’t in love with two boys. It was only one boy who had stolen her heart twice. After all, this was Chat in front of her. Her partner, her companion, her best friend. A thought crossed her mind and she smirked.

“Hey Chat, do you remember the first date you prepared for me?”

He had expected her screaming, running away, laughing, crying, anything. Anything but this. “What? What date are you talking about? This is our first date, I’ve never invited you to any other date.”

She could clearly see the utterly confused look in his eyes and chuckled slightly. “In fact, you did invite me. It was the evening when the Glaciator turned people into ice cream. You put all those candles on that roof and some roses, too.”

“Okay, I guess I took you onto that roof, but to be honest, I prepared that date for Ladybug. It took me another few months to realize just how gorgeous you are.” He admitted with an apologizing look on his face.

She was delighted to see his confusion. _Good, he probably can relate to how I felt a few minutes ago._ “Oh, I know that. I came back later to talk to you and you gave me a beautiful rose.” She saw his jaw drop open and smiled even wider. “You said it goes with my costume.”

Adrien stared at her with wide eyes. “It’s been you. It’s been you all the time." He couldn’t believe it. _All this time it was her. My lady has been sitting right behind me in class. "_ And here I was thinking I was losing my mind because I fell in love with two gir-“ His words were cut off by her warm, soft lips pressing against his. He closed his eyes and responded the kiss, deepening it while wrapping his arms around her. When she broke the kiss he immediately missed the touch of her tender lips.

“Adrien.” She managed to squeeze out. “Adrien!” _Okay, I know that he is Chat Noir, but why must he be this strong?!_ “Chat, you have to let me go or I will suffocate. Again.” When he loosened his grip slightly, she rolled her eyes while taking a deep breath. “You really need to remember that without the suit I am not indestructible.”

Now it was his turn to chuckle. “Did my lady just admit that I leave her breathless?”

She groaned and tapped his nose. “Maybe, just a little bit.” She confessed, blushing heavily. “But only because I like you so much.”

Adrien raised the hand holding hers and kissed her knuckles. “I love you, Bugaboo.”

“I love you too, silly kitty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I made it! My first fanfiction is finished. Tell me in the comments what you think about it. I have another few oneshots to upload and spend my time on the train commute to work writing. It's only 20 minutes per ride, so I don't write that fast, but I get it done :)


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